Stem Cup
Unknown Artist
early 700s
Medium
silver with gilt interior and incised and chased decoration
Dimensions
9 × 7.3 × 7.3 cm · foot: w. 4 cm, d. 4 cm
Classification
Silver
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Edward L. Whittemore Fund
Accession Number
1951.396
About this artwork
This stem cup is a supreme example of secular silver. During the Tang Dynasty (618–907), vessels like this were used to serve both tea and wine, the beverages enjoyed by the elite. It also demonstrates the effects of east-west exchanges along the Silk Road: the stem cup was a popular shape in Sasanian Iran.