Gilded Beast-Headed Agate Cup

The Gilded Beast-Headed Agate Cup from Hejiacun represents the pinnacle of Tang Dynasty sculptural art and is a crystallization of cultural exchange along the Silk Road. It was unearthed in 1970 from a Tang Dynasty hoard in Hejiacun, Xi’an, and, with its distinctive form and exquisite carving, has become a signature treasure of the Shaanxi History Museum.

This horn-shaped cup measures 15.6 centimeters in length and is carved from a single, exceptionally rare piece of multicolored banded agate. Its core artistic achievement lies in the ingenious use of the “qiaose” (also known as “clever use of natural color”) carving technique, combined with multiple sculptural methods.

The cup may have been made by Central Asian artisans who traveled along the Silk Road, or successfully imitated by Tang craftsmen. Transcending practical function, it became a decorative sculpture combining realism and symbolic meaning, reflecting the open and inclusive spirit of Tang Dynasty art.