TANG/LIAO DYNASTY, 10TH CENTURY

Gilt-bronze ornaments of this 'apricot' leaf type, xingye, were based on foreign, probably Sassanian, prototypes, and became popular as decoration for horse trappings during the Tang dynasty. A discussion of xingye is included in the article by Sun Ji, "The Equestrian Gear and Ornament of the Tang Dynasty", Wenwu, 1981:10, pp. 82-88 and 96, translated in Chinese Archaeological Abstracts, vol. 4, Post Han, Los Angeles, 1985, pp. 1782-7, where, in fig. 7, eight different types of 'apricot' leaves are shown in line drawings.