A History of the World in 100 Objects is a History Documentary programme.

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A History of the World in 100 Objects: Chinese Han Lacquer Cup

Series 1, episode 34

Director of the British Museum Neil MacGregor retells the history of human development from the first stone axe to the credit card, using 100 selected objects from the Museum. Neil takes us to Han Dynasty China to tell the story of how the Chinese maintained loyalty and control by dispensing luxury gifts. He describes the world of the imperial Han with reference to an exquisite lacquer wine cup that was probably given by the emperor to one of his military commanders in North Korea. The historian Roel Sterckx underlines the importance of lacquer for the period, and writer Isabel Hilton looks at how the production of goods under state control has remained a consistent interest of the Chinese