Box
ca. 700 - ca. 800
Medium
silver, partial gilt
Dimensions
11.5
About this artwork
Bruikleen van de Koninklijke Vereniging van Vrienden der Aziatische Kunst (aankoop Reijnier Flaes, Parijs, 1965)
Art Historical Context
This exquisite small box, crafted anonymously around 700–800 CE, the refined metalworking traditions of early medieval Asia. Measuring just 11.5 cm diameter, it is made of silver with partial gilding—a technique where gold was meticulously applied to select areas, creating a luxurious contrast of shimmering tones. Such intimate objects were prized possessions, likely used to store precious spices jewelry, or cosmetics, reflecting the era's thriving trade networks across Central Asia and beyond. The partial gilding highlights advanced artisanal skills, possibly involving fire-gilding or mercur...
About the Artist
anonymous
In the vast tapestry of art history, "Anonymous" stands not as a singular individual but as a collective designation for countless unidentified creators whose works have endured across millennia. These artists, spanning prehistoric cave painters to medieval illuminators and folk craftsmen, produced the foundational layers of human visual culture. Prior to the Renaissance, when individual fame emer...