Okra Flower-shaped Golden Cup

Detail

Dates：Southern Song Dynasty
Size：height 5cm; diameter of mouth 10.6cm; diameter of base 4.4cm

Unearthed from Zhu Xiyan’s Tomb, Xiuning County, Anhui Province in 1952
The okra flower-shaped golden cup has an open mouth, a shallow belly and low ring-foot with spreading rim. It looks like a blooming okra flower and each of its six petals is engraved with continuous floral pattern on the edge. The ring-foot is shaped like a flower-end, as if holding the okra flower; on its edge is engraved two circles of continuous lines. In the bottom of the cup, six small bud-shaped columns cluster around the plum blossom, as if there was faint fragrance. Seen from above, there are flowers in the flowers, and the petals of the okra revolve around the plum blossoms. It is really beautiful and magnificent. People in the Song Dynasty liked drinking, and they were also very particular about drinking vessels. This gold cup should be a wine vessel. It is vivid and natural, and has the meaning of happiness, health and longevity. In making the gold cup, various techniques were adopted, such as welding and engraving. The delicate carving, the exquisite shape, and the gorgeous color of gold ware make it a national treasure with high artistic value and historical value. From the same tomb were unearthed hexagonal gold cups and plates, which are also classic gold ware.