Artwork
Crown
DepartmentAsian Art
CultureLiao, Khitan
Date907-1125
MediumGilt bronze
Dimensionsh. 11 1/4 in. × diam. 7 3/4 in. (h. 28.6 cm × diam. 19.7 cm)
Credit LineSan Antonio Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by the Bessie Timon Endowment Fund
Object number2021.1.1
GeographyPlace madeChina, Asia
DescriptionThis crown consists of a high rounded cap with tall flat wings or uprights attached by a separate metal sheet that folds over the rim of the cap like a hem. Decorated by repousse, chasing and openwork, the surfaces of the cap and wings are richly embellished with floral and phoenix designs. Two tendrils producing a multitude of densely packs, plump, knobby buds scroll against a ring-punched ground in twin bands from back to fron across the dome of the cap. Each upright appendage features a pair of glorious phoenix with wings spread wide, long and luxurian tails, strong necks and noble heads, and all the surfaces carefully inscribed and chased with rich patterns and details. the phoenix float in a golden sky patterned with an openwork of overlapping circles, with scudding clouds forming fungus or floral shapes and scrollwork bordering the edges. The rim is decorated with a loosely undulant scroll bordered by rows of small circles. A six-petalled open flower cut from thin sheet metal is attached to the top of the crown; several pairs of holes originally secured additional embellishments. The gilded areas are clean and bright; the inside of the wings and interior of the cap are heavily encursted with patina.Provenancea Japanese collection; acquired in Hong Kong from B. K. Wong by Kaikodo in 1993Exhibition History40 Years, 40 Stories: Treasures and New Discoveries from SAMA’s Collection, San Antonio Museum of Art, Oct.16, 2021-Jan. 2, 2022Published ReferencesKaikodo Journal III (Spring 1997), no. 49.J. Powers, ed., Still Brewing Art: Making the San Antonio Museum of Art (San Antonio: San Antonio Museum of Art, 2025), p. 62, no. 16.
Not on view
Collections
Attributed to the Erlenmeyer Painter
Culture: Greek
ca. 590-580 BC
ca. 1930
The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.
This resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.
