A superb and important parcel-gilt silver 'lotus and pomegranate' bowl, Tang dynasty | 唐 銀局部鎏金石榴蓮花紋花式大盌

A superb and important parcel-gilt silver 'lotus and pomegranate' bowl

Tang dynasty

唐 銀局部鎏金石榴蓮花紋花式大盌

rendered in the shape of an open begonia flower, the widely flaring sides divided into four lobes and rising to an everted rim, all raised on a splayed foot of conforming shape, the interior superbly engraved and gilt with a central medallion enclosing an open flower issuing a small pomegranate and flanked by fan-like leaves together with an elaborate stem resembling a peacock tail, all reserved on a ring-punched ground and framed within a lappet border, the interior rim with a finely engraved and gilt band of further blooms on a ring-punched ground, the exterior entirely chased with a lush design of of single and double lotus flowers, some fully in bloom, others transforming into seed pods, with large fanning leaves, all reserved on a ring-punched ground, above a band of overlapping lappets, the foot naturalistically detailed as a furled lotus leaf, the exterior entirely gilt

Width 9 ½ in., 24.3 cm