The present cup, originally part of the Peter Harris Collection, was dated as Tang dynasty (608-917) when offered by Sotheby's London in 1955. The combination of the elongated form, angular top to the long stem, as well as the finely incised tiger and bird decoration above the delicate endless knot band could suggest a Liao (907-1125) or Jin-Yuan dynasty (12th-13th century) dating. In the absence of thorough scholarship and known comparable examples, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact date of manufacture. However, it is clear that the delicately-incised decoration is beautifully executed.