Covered box in the form of a six petalled flower with birds and floral scrolls

Historical period(s)
Mid-Tang dynasty, early 8th century
Medium
Hammered silver with repoussé, chased, and ring-punched decoration and mercury gilding
Dimensions
H x W: 3 x 10.7 cm (1 3/16 x 4 3/16 in)
Geography
China, Shaanxi province, Probably Xi’an
Credit Line
Gift of the Honorable and Mrs. Hugh Scott
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1978.39a-b
On View Location
Freer Gallery 16: Center of the World: China and the Silk Road
Classification(s)
Container, Metalwork
Type

Box

Keywords
bird, China, flower, Tang dynasty (618 - 907)
Provenance

To 1974
Senator and Mrs. Hugh Scott, Washington, DC, to 1974

From 1974
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of the Senator and Mrs. Hugh Scott in 1974 [1]

Notes:

[1] The object was transferred from the Freer Study Collection to the Freer Permanent Collection December 6, 1978 (see Curatorial Note 4 in the object record).

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Senator and Mrs. Hugh Scott

Published References
  • Dr. Paul Singer. Early Chinese Gold and Silver. Exh. cat. New York. cat. 45.
  • Hugh Scott. The Golden Age of Chinese Art: the Lively T'ang Dynasty. Rutland, Vermont. cat. 23.
  • Julia Murray. A Decade of Discovery: Selected Acquisitions 1970-1980. Exh. cat. Washington, 1979. cat. 14, p. 24.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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