Dimensions: Height 19,5 cm Wide 21 cm Depth 17 cm

Weight: 1039 grams

China, Tang dynasty (618–907). The globular bronze jar of compressed ovoid form rising from a short foot to a broad shoulder and waisted neck, fitted with a domed cover surmounted by a knop finial. The body is richly decorated in silver and gilt inlay with large lobed panels enclosing pairs of long-tailed birds amidst luxuriant scrolling floral vines and foliage, all reserved against a finely textured ground. Lion-mask handles at the shoulders support loose ring attachments and a swing handle. The cover is similarly embellished with floral ornament. The bronze has developed an attractive blue-green patina with areas of encrustation and wear revealing the age of the vessel and the surviving precious-metal inlay.

The combination of finely worked silver and gilt decoration, dense floral arabesques, and elegant avian motifs reflects the cosmopolitan artistic taste of the Tang court, which drew inspiration from both indigenous Chinese and Central Asian decorative traditions.