Silver Raft Cup - Cleveland Museum of Art

Silver Raft Cup - Cleveland Museum of Art

Made around 1345. This work is attributed to Zhu Bishan, welded from hammered silver pieces and decorated with chisels. It is now collected at the Cleveland Museum of Art. By JohnL Severance Fund was acquired in 1977. The figure on the cup is believed to be the messenger Zhang Qian. Legend has it that he got lost in the Milky Way and met the Weaver Girl, who gave him a stone from a loom. Zhang Qian actually holds a stone tablet with the inscription 'Weaving Machine Stone'. The production date, inscription, and seal of silversmith Zhu Bishan are all clearly visible on this silverware, demonstrating its historical and artistic value.