The Shoso-in Treasure

y Lacquered Ewer Decorated with Silver Heidatsu zHeight,41.3cm

The word ekoheif( in Chinese pronunciation : huping) ,which was used in the Tang Period, seems to have referred to Persian style ewer. At first glance, the shape of this pitcher is a reminiscent of a Persian metal ewer.

The core of the body is formed by piling rings of narrow-breadth strips of wood or by winding such strips spirally upward. The core of the handle is made of metal. These cores were lacquered, and patterns, cut from a sheet of silver, were pasted on them with further thin coatings of lacquer. The silver patterns were then brought out by scraping the thin layers of lacquer.

Lacquered Ewer

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