Textile Ornament(?): Phoenix

A flat, openwork ornament of beaten gold shows a phoenix-like bird in profile, wings spread upward and tail feathers curling into stylized scrolls. Fine chased lines texture the feathers, and a lotus-like bloom rises above the head against a black backdrop.

Look closer: Small rivet holes are scattered along the wing and tail edges, showing how the ornament was once fixed to a backing.

Artist

Unknown

Date

c. 700s

Medium

beaten gold with chased detail

Source

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Size

2837 × 3400 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund