Inlays for a Mirror or Box
Unknown Artist
c. 900–1000
Medium
beaten silver with chased details
Dimensions
4.7 × 8.4 cm · irregular: 5.3 × 8.4 cm
Classification
Metalwork
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Eugene Victor Thaw
Accession Number
1969.78
About this artwork
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 p...