Inlay for a Mirror or Box: shih-shih
A flat silver figure of a shih-shih, a lion-like mythical guardian, shown in a leaping stride with head turned and mane rendered in curling chased lines. Its tail flares into flame-like tufts, and ribs and legs are incised with fine strokes against a smooth ground.
Look closer: Fine incised hatching along the ribs and legs gives the body its texture.
- Artist
- Unknown
- Date
- c. 900–1000
- Medium
- beaten silver with chased details
- Source
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Size
- 3400 × 2208 px
Public domain · The Cleveland Museum of Art releases this image under CC0 (latest date 1005).
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: CC0 (Cleveland Museum of Art Open Access, share_license_status=CC0)
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: CC0 (Cleveland Museum of Art Open Access, share_license_status=CC0)
Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Eugene Victor Thaw