Ox-Headed Agate Cup Inlaid with Gold

Tang Dynasty
Height: 6.5cm
Length: 15.6
Diameter of mouth: 5.9

Unearthed from the Tang Dynasty vault in the He Family Village of Xi'an in 1970, the ox-headed agate cup inlaid with gold is the only piece of jade ware of the Tang Dynasty found so far with superior craftsmanship transforming a rough stone into a precious object by following and accentuating the stone's natural shape, grain, texture, and color.

The cup is 6.5 centimeters in height, 15.6 centimeters long and 5.9 centimeters in diameter. The material selected for making the cup is a whole block of rare red agate with stripes. The gradation is distinct. It's dark red on both sides and light red in the middle, with reddish milk white bands inside. The colors are naturally and brilliantly arranged.

The cup is modeled after beast horns. There are two raised string patterns outside the brim, with a decoration focus on the head of the beast. The beast is an ox with its eyes wide open. The eyes are vividly engraved and the two long horns spiral into both sides of the rim. The big ears are pricked up. And the mouth of the ox is inlaid with gold. It's the plug of the cup. The ox lips are closed and the nostrils are upturned. Even the pores and hairs around the lips are exquisitely carved and very lifelike.

This horn cup actually originated from a wine utensil known as "rhyton" in the west, which was very common in handicrafts in central and west Asia, especially in Persia (present-day Iran). So, this agate cup may well have been created by the Tang Dynasty craftsmen, who modeled after the articles from the Western Regions. It serves as an important testament to the cultural exchange between the Tang Dynasty China and countries in the Western Regions. The cup is the cream of the jade carving art in the Tang Dynasty. It's now kept in Shaanxi History Museum.