Subject: 士大夫 shìdàfū scholar-official
Culture: Chinese
Setting: mid-late Tang empire, China 750-907
Object: cup
* Kimbell Art Museum > Buddha Shiva Lotus Dragon
"Stem Cup North China Tang period, c. late 7th-early 8th century Silver with microscopic traces of gilding ...
The flourishing mercantile and cultural exchange between China, Central Asia, and Sasanian-period Iran during the seventh through tenth centuries led to an increase in the number of beautifully shaped and elaborately decorated objects made of gold and silver. These rare, valuable goods were used by affluent elites, in diplomatic exchanges, and as donations to Buddhist temples. Made by hammering a single sheet of silver into a vessel with eight lotus-petal-shaped panels decorated with an intricate design of flowers and birds, this cup reveals the influence of West and Central Asia in both its method of manufacture and its decoration."
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