Gold Filigree Cup with Flowers Design

Tang Dynasty (618-907)

The cup was excavated in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. The design is Persian style, including the handle. The flowers on the body are a kind of sinicized Buddhist flower. The cup is characteristic of gold and silver wares from the Tang Dynasty, which combined elements from diverse cultures.

Red Glazed Plate with Nine-dragon Pattern made in Chuxiu Gong

Reign of the Emperor Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1875-1908)

Height: 8.1 cm, Mouth diameter: 47.6 cm, Foot diameter: 29.8 cm

This rare plate is painted on the interior and exterior in red with nine dragons chasing beads. Four seal characters indicating that the plate was made in Chuxiu Gong are on the bottom of the blue-and-white surface. Chuxiu Gong was where the Empress Dowager Cixi once lived.