The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 23, 2024

Inlay for a Mirror or Box: Lady on a Bird

Inlay for a Mirror or Box: Lady on a Bird

c. 900–1000
(618-907) - Song dynasty (960-1279)
beaten silver with chased details
Overall: 5.2 x 7.8 cm (2 1/16 x 3 1/16 in.)
Gift of Eugene Victor Thaw 1969.78.2
Location: not on view

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.
  • China through the Magnifying Glass: Masterpieces in Miniature and Detail. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 11, 2022-February 26, 2023).
    Dayton Art Institute, "Chinese Gold and Silver from the Tang Dynasty from American Collections," Showings: 11/3/1984-1/6/1985, Dayton; 2/5/1985-4/21/1985, Cooper Hewitt, NY
    CMA 1984: 3 July-18 November 1984: Mirrors: Art and Symbol
    The Arts of China from The Cleveland Museum of Art, Mansfield Art Center, Feb. 27-April 10, 1983
    CMA 1970: "Year in Review 1969," CMA Bulletin (January 1970), p. 51, no. 229
  • {{cite web|title=Inlay for a Mirror or Box: Lady on a Bird|url=false|author=|year=c. 900–1000|access-date=23 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1969.78.2