Lobed oval box with deer and a lion

Most of the silver boxes recovered from the Tang shipwreck are exquisitely decorated on all sides, normally with a relief on the top and another design chased on the bottom. This four-lobed box features on the cover, two deer amid leafy vines rendered in repoussé; while the bottom is chased with a lion surrounded by floral scrolls. These boxes might have been used as containers for cosmetics, incense, or medicines. As the paired birds and animals suggest marital bliss, such boxes may also have been made as wedding gifts.

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