Cleveland Museum of Art

Vase

Date

c. late 600s–early 700s

Medium

silver with gilded foil

Culture

Central Asia (Sogdiana) or Tibet

Department

Indian and Southeast Asian Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Located amid the vast “silk roads” trade network, medieval Tibet was a place of dynamic cultural exchange. This decanter is evidence of such interactions. The vessel is part of the tableware used to hold wine during feasts. Tibetan elites adopted the tradition of consuming wine at social gatherings from their Iranian (Persian) contemporaries, whose wine banquets were lavish affairs with plentiful food and drink. Lions were often seen as powerful protectors while phoenixes were associated with good fortune.

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