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Inlay for a Mirror or Box: shih-shih
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
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.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineInlay for a Mirror or Box: shih-shih, c. 900–1000. China, Tang dynasty (618-907) - Song dynasty (960-1279). Beaten silver with chased details; overall: 4.2 x 6.1 cm (1 5/8 x 2 3/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Eugene Victor Thaw, 1969.78.4
