The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 23, 2024
Inlay for a Mirror or Box: Lady on a Bird
c. 900–1000
(618-907) - Song dynasty (960-1279)
Overall: 5.3 x 8.4 cm (2 1/16 x 3 5/16 in.)
Gift of Eugene Victor Thaw 1969.78.6
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).
- {{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/1969.78.6