Title
Lobed circular box with mandarin ducks
Year/Period
Tang dynasty, around 830s
Region
China
Material
Dimension
Object size: 3.2 x 8.5 x 8.5 cm
Accession No.
2005.1-00862
Collection of
Credit Line
The Tang Shipwreck was acquired through the generous donation of the Estate of Khoo Teck Puat.
This box differs from the others in its ornamentation. Unlike the other boxes which have their exterior surfaces fully decorated, this box only has its cover and sides adorned with motifs. The cover features a chased design of a pair of mandarin ducks, a popular Chinese motif denoting marital bliss, in a garden setting. This sense of conjugal happiness is echoed by a pair of birds flying closely together above the mandarin ducks. The side panels of this box are filled with birds interspersed between clusters of leaves. Such a box might have once held medicine, cosmetics, incense or other precious substances.
