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Source Description
The p'ing-t'o technique of inlaying gold and silver foil on lacquer produced luxurious articles of elegance and fragility. These stray silver inlays were originally mounted on a mirror back or a cosmetic box whose lacquered surface has disintegrated. They combine auspicious symbols of Indian and Chinese origin--human-headed birds whose melodies filled the Buddhist paradise, and bird-riding deities who inhabited the skies of Taoist mythology. Like these imaginary beings, the lions were probably paired in a radial design; at least one has been lost.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
144858
label
Inlay for a Mirror or Box: shih-shih
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
144858
contentType
object
title
Inlay for a Mirror or Box: shih-shih
description
The p'ing-t'o technique of inlaying gold and silver foil on lacquer produced luxurious articles of elegance and fragility. These stray silver inlays were originally mounted on a mirror back or a cosmetic box whose lacquered surface has disintegrated. They combine auspicious symbols of Indian and Chinese origin--human-headed birds whose melodies filled the Buddhist paradise, and bird-riding deities who inhabited the skies of Taoist mythology. Like these imaginary beings, the lions were probably paired in a radial design; at least one has been lost.
date
c. 900–1000
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79922381
genreSpecific
Metalwork
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 5.2 x 5.6 cm (2 1/16 x 2 3/16 in.)
cul
China, Tang dynasty (618-907) - Song dynasty (960-1279)
accession
1969.78.3
Source extras
tec
beaten silver with chased details
tombstone
Inlay for a Mirror or Box: shih-shih, c. 900–1000. China, Tang dynasty (618-907) - Song dynasty (960-1279). Beaten silver with chased details; overall: 5.2 x 5.6 cm (2 1/16 x 2 3/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Eugene Victor Thaw, 1969.78.3
collection
China - Tang Dynasty
formerAccessionNumbers
1969.80
creditline
Gift of Eugene Victor Thaw
updatedAt
2026-05-29 07:26:37.745000
sourceId
144858
dept
Chinese Art
coll
China - Tang Dynasty
med
beaten silver with chased details
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
660f73b754804188