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Mirror with Phoenixes, Birds, Butterflies, and Floral Sprays
✓ Authenticity guarantee · ✓ Specialist condition report · ✓ Insured worldwide shipping · ✓ Private-room viewing
This extremely rare <em>pingtuo </em>mirror is coated with a lacquer base inlaid with paper-thin sheets of silver and gold. The decorative patterns, especially the floral arabesques and the phoenixes and birds holding branches in their mouths, have a pronounced Persian and Central Asian flavor. Luxury items like this had been used by the Tang emperor as diplomatic gifts. A similar example from the Japanese imperial collection of Emperor Shōmu was donated by Empress Kōmyō in 756 to the Shōsō-in repository of the Tōdai-ji Temple, Nara, Japan.
| Artist / Maker | China, Tang dynasty (618-907) |
|---|---|
| Date | 700s |
| Culture / Origin | China, Tang dynasty (618-907) |
| Medium | bronze with silver and gold inlaid lacquer |
| Dimensions | Diameter: 19.2 cm (7 9/16 in.) |
| Department | Chinese Art |
| Type | Metalwork |
About the Artist
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
Shipping & Collection
Fine-art shipping with climate control and full insurance to over 120 countries; collection by appointment.
Buying at Matchless Pieces
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