Artwork Page for Beaker

Details / Information for Beaker

Beaker

c. late 600s–early 700s

Central Asia (Sogdiana) or Tibet

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Medium
silver with gilding
Measurements
Diameter: 10.2 cm (4 in.); Overall: 10.2 cm (4 in.);
Credit Line
The Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 1988.67.2
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print
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Did You Know?

This cup depicts two lions and a lionlike animal with horns!

Description

The circular shapes of the cup’s handle feature a flat edge on which the user rested their thumb for better grip, a design characteristic of silver objects made during the 700s by Sogdian artists, who traveled from Central Asia along international trade routes. An ownership inscription in Tibetan script on the underside of the cup identifies the vessel as a personal possession. The circles and lines carved below this inscription are likely measurements recording the weight of the silver used for the cup.
A silver and gilded beaker features a cylindrical body with a handle on the right composed of two stacked loops. Raised silver relief patterns of scrolling vines and flower buds decorate the exterior against a worn gold background. Among the foliage, a horned creature faces our right. Encircling the vessel below the smooth upper edge is a narrow band of small vertical ridges.

Beaker

c. late 600s–early 700s

Central Asia (Sogdiana) or Tibet

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