Hinged cosmetic box in the form of a clam’s shell with birds and floral scrolls
date: label: Date
content: late 7th-early 8th century
label: Period
content: Early or mid-Tang dynasty
notes: label: Description
content: Box in the form of a clam-shell; silver hinged. Surface: lustrous gray patina, somewhat worn; traces of earthy adhesions on the inside. Decoration: engraved; gold leaf applied to areas in the design.
label: Provenance
content: 1930
label: Provenance
content: Yamanaka and Company, Boston 1930 [1]
label: Provenance
content: From 1930
label: Provenance
content: Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Yamanaka and Company, Boston in 1930 [2]
label: Provenance
content: Notes:
label: Provenance
content: [1] Object file, undated folder sheet. Also see Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List file, Collections Management Office.
label: Provenance
content: [2] See note 1.
label: Collection
content: Freer Gallery of Art Collection
label: Exhibition History
content: Center of the World: China and the Silk Road (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)
label: Exhibition History
content: Silk Road Exhibition (August 18 to December 25, 2011)
label: Exhibition History
content: Silk Road Luxuries from China (November 5, 2011 to January 3, 2016)
label: Exhibition History
content: Luxury Arts of the Silk Route Empires (May 9, 1993 to January 28, 2007)
label: Exhibition History
content: Chinese Art (February 18, 1983 to April 1, 1987)
label: Exhibition History
content: Chinese Art (March 15, 1982 to June 15, 1982)
label: Exhibition History
content: Chinese Art (January 1, 1963 to March 6, 1981)
label: Exhibition History
content: Chinese Bronze, Jade, Metalwork (March 1, 1957 to January 1, 1963)
label: Exhibition History
content: Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 14 and 15 (February 25, 1956 to March 1, 1957)
label: Exhibition History
content: Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Metalwork and Painting, East Corridor (February 15, 1955 to August 26, 1955)
label: Exhibition History
content: Special Mirror Exhibition (November 16, 1954 to February 25, 1955)
label: Exhibition History
content: Untitled Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Art, 1946 (May 7, 1946 to February 25, 1956)
label: Exhibition History
content: Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Metalwork, Pottery, and Painting (March 23, 1944 to May 2, 1946)
label: Exhibition History
content: Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Art, 1944 (November 15, 1944 to May 6, 1946)
label: Exhibition History
content: Untitled Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Art, 1943 (March 22, 1943 to November 17, 1944)
label: Exhibition History
content: Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Painting and Metalwork, 1943 (October 4, 1943 to March 23, 1944)
label: Exhibition History
content: Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Metalwork (March 14, 1931 to March 22, 1943)
label: Exhibition History
content: Stone Sculpture, Buddhist Bronze, and Chinese Painting (May 2, 1923 to February 25, 1956)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Yamanaka and Co. 山中商会 (1917-1965)
place: label: Origin
content: Probably Xi’an, Shaanxi province, China
topic: label: Topic
content: repoussé
label: Topic
content: engraving (incising)
label: Topic
content: metal
label: Topic
content: silver
label: Topic
content: Tang dynasty (618 - 907)
label: Topic
content: China
label: Topic
content: Chinese Art
setName: label: On View
content: West Building (Freer Gallery of Art), Gallery 16: Center of the World: China and the Silk Road
label: Related Online Resources
content: Google Arts & Culture
label: See more items in
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: F1930.50a-b
objectType: label: Type
content: Container
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Silver
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 4.6 x 9.3 x 8.2 cm (1 13/16 x 3 11/16 x 3 1/4 in)