Knife Sheath
Unknown Artist
1100s
Medium
Gilt silver (body) and brass (trefoil-shaped ring)
Dimensions
w. 21.7 cm
Classification
Metalwork
Department
Korean Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
J.H. Wade Trust Fund
Accession Number
2022.38
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Made by rolling a flat piece of silver plate, this knife sheath is decorated on each side with oval panels, including two larger middle panels showing an image of rising dragons with ring-punched scales. The circular upper panels bear the image of seated phoenixes. The flat bottom is engraved with a pair of fish, symbolizing harmonious unity. The trefoil-shaped ring attached to the tip of the sheath allows a string to connect it as a pendant to a belt. In medieval Korea, a miniature sheath such ...