elongated oval form covered in orange-red lacquer on the interior, with a wide border of wing-and-scroll motifs in a complex repeating pattern painted in red on a dark brown ground around the inner mouth-rim and with a narrower rendition of the same border around the outer mouth-rim continuing along the flat outer edges of the flaring wing-shaped handles which are painted on top with detached scroll motifs, and painted on one handle, with a running deer on one handle, the other handle with a long-tailed bird with wings displayed, the underside covered with dark brown lacquer, the edge of the oval platform base with a narrow red border

Cup with winged handles, one of a pair, 4th-3rd century BCE

Unknown artist, expand_more
On View in Gallery 215expand_more

Shallow, elliptical cups of elongated form with paired rim handles (called "ears") were popular during the Eastern Chou (770-221 b.c.) and Han dynasties (206 b.c.-220 a.d.). Lacquer "ear cups" of this distinctive form with wing-shaped handles were produced only during the late Eastern Chou period in the state of Chu. The rims are decorated inside and out with a wide border of wing-and-scroll motifs in a repeating pattern in red on a dark brown ground. The top of the flared wing handles are decorated with detached scroll motifs with a running deer on one handle and the other handle a long-tailed bird. Similar vessels have been excavated from a tomb at Chiang-ling in Hubeh province and they are believed to have been used for drinking wine.

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Details
Title
Cup with winged handles, one of a pair
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2006.43.2.1
Curator Approved

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elongated oval form covered in orange-red lacquer on the interior, with a wide border of wing-and-scroll motifs in a complex repeating pattern painted in red on a dark brown ground around the inner mouth-rim and with a narrower rendition of the same border around the outer mouth-rim continuing along the flat outer edges of the flaring wing-shaped handles which are painted on top with detached scroll motifs, and painted on one handle, with a running deer on one handle, the other handle with a long-tailed bird with wings displayed, the underside covered with dark brown lacquer, the edge of the oval platform base with a narrow red border