FLORAL MOTIFS ON TANG METALWORK
There is an abundance of floral decoration on metalwork from the Tang dynasty. Like with the birds represented on many of the pieces featured on this site, there was a tendancy towards stylization and even abstraction, to some degree, of flowers on metalwork. However, again as with the birds, there are symbolically significant flowers that may be identified from among the bunches of blooms. Lotus flowers, for example, were important symbols of buddhism; the peony and plum blossom also recieved varying levels of attention in Chinese poetry during the Tang dynasty, and may also be found in these decorative schemes. 1 Liu Yang, "Flower and Bird Motifs in the Decoration of Changsha Bowls," Orientations (2019) pp. 10-12.2 Often, as in nature, birds and flowers appear together.
Six Pointed Silver Box
Silver, Xi'an Eastern Suburb Xibei Guomian Wuchang, dated to 718 CE
Six Pointed Lobed Gold Mirror
Copper, Silver, and Gold, Xi'an Eastern Suburb Xibei Guomian Wuchang tomb 29, Dated to 732
Six Pointed Lobed Floral Box
Silver, Xi'an Eastern Suburb Xibei Guomian Wuchang tomb 65, epitaph dated 718
Silver Spoon
Silver, Xi'an Eastern Suburb Xibei Guomian Wuchang tomb 65, dated to 732 CE
Shell Box with Mirrored Birds
Gilt silver, Xi'an Eastern Suburb Xibei Guomian Wuchang, dated to 718 CE
Shell Box with Birds
Gilt silver box, Xi'an Eastern Suburb Xibei Guomian Wuchang, dated to 718 CE
Gilt Silver Box with Deer and Elephant
Gilt silver, Xi'an Eastern Suburb Xibei Guomian Wuchang, dated to 718 CE
Silver Box with Two Birds
Silver,Xi'an Eastern Suburb Xibei Guomian Wuchang tomb 65, dated to 732 CE
Silver Gilt Vessel with 3 Legs
Partly gilt silver, Xi'an Eastern Suburb Xibei Guomian Wuchang tomb 65, dated to 718 CE
Silver Gilt Dish with Lid
Gilt silver, Xi'an Eastern Suburb Xibei Guomian Wuchang tomb 65, dated to 718 CE
Spoon with Floral Motif
Found in tomb M2544 object 7, 814 CE (tomb dated)
Mirror with Floral Roundels
Found in tomb M5013 object 20, 840 CE (tomb dated)
Round Mirror with Six Flowers
Found in tomb M5013 object 20, 840 CE (tomb dated)
Round Mirror with Flowers
From tomb M0601 object 1, undated
Eight-Lobed Mirror with Animals
Found in tomb M1008 object 21, 706 CE (tomb dated)
Eight-Lobed Mirror
Found in tomb YHM3 object 7, 756 CE (tomb dated).
Square Mirror with Silver
Found in tomb M2003 object 19, 813 CE (tomb dated)
Floral decoration
Found in tomb M2901 object 22, dated 845 CE (tomb dated)
Shell Box with pair of Birds
Clam shell shaped box with incized image of two birds surrounded by foliage and flowers on either side. Found in a dated (M5036 object 20) dated to 778 CE. There is no individual date for this object.
Tripod
This Tang tripod comes from a tomb (# M2544, object 27) dated to 814 BCE
Mirror
Tomb 1435 Object 30, 729 CE.
Black ground Mirror with Birds and Flowers
Tomb M4206 Object 10, 775 CE
Square Box
Tomb M1819 object 13, 858 CE.
Six Lobed Box
Tomb M2603, object 39, 738 CE
Shell Container with Flowers and Birds
Tomb M2603, object 40, 738 CE
Six-Lobed Box
This six-lobed silver box is object #4 from Tomb M0535, which is dated to 731 CE.
Eight-Lobed Mirror with Hunters
Found in tomb M502 object 2, undated