LIAO DYNASTY (AD 907-1125)

Luxurious covered boxes made of gold and silver were popular during the Tang (AD 618-907) and Liao (AD 907-1125) dynasties. Containing precious substances and objects, these boxes were highly treasured and important status symbols. Most boxes from the Tang and Liao dynasties are of circular or square forms, and the fully sculptural bird form of the present box is extremely rare, and no other example appears to have been published. With its characteristic pointy wings and long tail feathers, the present box may represent a Mongolian pheasant. The carefully applied parcel gilding suggests the warm glow of the pheasant’s brown feathers. In China the pheasant is regarded as an emblem for beauty and good fortune, and during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, represented one of the Twelve Ancient Symbols of Imperial Authority (huachong). Particularly noteworthy with the current box are the long projecting wings that are attached to the body by delicate, thin pins, allowing them to “flutter” with the slightest breeze or movement, endowing the pheasant with a distinctive sense of animation.

The lotus pod design on the base of the present box can also be found on contemporaneous 10th century ceramics, such as the Yue circular box and cover sold at Christie’s New York, 15 September 2009, lot 321. The lotus was a particularly popular motif in the Chinese decorative arts, since it was associated with Buddhism, harmony in marriage, and was also a symbol of beauty and purity. The seed pod symbolizes fertility, and is associated with the birth of sons.