Inlay for a Mirror or Box: shih-shih, c. 900-1000, Cleveland Museum of Art: Chinese ArtThe p'ing-t'o
Inlay for a Mirror or Box: shih-shih, c. 900-1000, Cleveland Museum of Art: Chinese ArtThe 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.Size: Overall: 4.6 x 5.2 cm (1 13/16 x 2 1/16 in.)Medium: beaten silver with chased detailshttps://clevelandart.org/art/1969.78.5 -- source link
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