Skip to Content
Today Open today 10–11 members | 11–8 public

  • Mon 11–5
  • Tue–Wed Closed
  • Thu 11–8
  • Fri–Sun 11–5
  • The first hour of every day, 10–11 a.m., is reserved for member-only viewing.

Stem Cup

A work made of silver with parcel gilt decoration.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • A work made of silver with parcel gilt decoration.

Date:

Tang dynasty (A.D. 618–907), 9th century

Artist:

China

About this artwork

The form of this wine cup was inspired by goblets made in the Sasanian and Sogdian empires, but originally derived from Hellenistic styles of the Mediterranean world. Its low, spreading foot gently flares into faceted petals suggesting a lotus flower. Since the introduction of Buddhism to China, the lotus—which emerges unstained from muddy water and therefore carries associations of purity and non-attachment to worldly concerns—had become a pervasive motif in secular as well as religious art. Two layers of petals, beaten in repousse, enclose birds, floral sprays, and clusters of grapes—all delicately chased and gilded against a ringmatted ground. This mixture of native and imported decorative motifs, which followed the seventh-century introduction of grapevines and grape wine from Iranian and Turkic lands, is executed with a linear fluency that is distinctively Chinese.

Status

On View, Gallery 105

Department

Arts of Asia

Title

Stem Cup

Place

China (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

618 CE–906 CE

Medium

Silver with parcel gilt decoration

Dimensions

4.8 × 7.8 cm (3 1/8 × 1 15/16 in.); Diam.: 4.9 cm (1 15/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Mr. Russell Tyson

Reference Number

1945.308

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/53544/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.
Learn more

Image actions

Share

Suggested Terms