Lot Essay
The exact use of these appliques is uncertain although it is generally agreed they were either sewn to clothing, a hat or were worn as hair ornaments. See Mary Tregear, Arts of China, Recent Discoveries, Tokyo, 1968, p. 115, pl. 199 for a painting on silk by the Tang artist Zhou Fang depicting court ladies with bird appliques in their hair.
For a depiction of similar pairs of confronted long-tailed birds, on Tang silver boxes see Tangdai jinqi wenwu, Beijing, 1985, figs. 188, 210-212, 213, 215 and 249.
A very similar pair of parrots in repouss silver on the cover of another Tang box was offered at Christie's, London, June 9, 1997, lot 20; and a pair engraved on the liner of a rare parcel-gilt silver box and cover was offered at Christie's, Hong Kong, November 3, 1998, lot 1044, and two more on the parcel-gilt silver shell-form cosmetic box in the present sale, lot 4.
For a depiction of similar pairs of confronted long-tailed birds, on Tang silver boxes see Tangdai jinqi wenwu, Beijing, 1985, figs. 188, 210-212, 213, 215 and 249.
A very similar pair of parrots in repouss silver on the cover of another Tang box was offered at Christie's, London, June 9, 1997, lot 20; and a pair engraved on the liner of a rare parcel-gilt silver box and cover was offered at Christie's, Hong Kong, November 3, 1998, lot 1044, and two more on the parcel-gilt silver shell-form cosmetic box in the present sale, lot 4.