THREE SMALL PARCEL-GILT SILVER SQUARE BOXES AND COVERS

LIAO DYNASTY, INCISED INSCRIPTIONS, THAT OF THE LARGEST DATED TO THE NINTH MONTH, SIXTH YEAR OF THE TAIPING PERIOD, CORRESPONDING TO 1026

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THREE SMALL PARCEL-GILT SILVER SQUARE BOXES AND COVERS
Liao dynasty, incised inscriptions, that of the largest dated to the ninth month, sixth year of the Taiping period, corresponding to 1026
The largest incised on top with a female dancer reserved against a ring-punched ground scattered with flowers, above a band of ruyi heads on the canted shoulder and lozenge pattern on the sides, the two smaller boxes incised on top with a recumbent rabbit and with a fleeing stag, also on a similar ring-punched ground, with ruyi-head cut outs on the shoulder and lozenge bands on the sides, all of the decoration picked out in gilding; the largest box with an eighteen-character inscription, the two smaller boxes with differently dated ten-character inscriptions
2¾, 2½ and 2¼in. (7, 6.4 and 5.6cm.) square, box (3)

Lot Essay

For other square boxes of this type, one decorated with two dancers on a similar ground and with lozenge bands on the sides, the other with similar ruyi or trefoil cutouts, see Han Wei and Christian Deydier, Ancient Chinese Gold, Paris, 2001, 394-5, no. 699 and pp. 400-1, no. 702. Both are incised with lengthy dedicatory inscriptions, and the first bears a date corresponding to 1026, like the present box, the second a date corresponding to 1024.

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