China, Henan province, Jincun, Warring States period (475–221 BCE) / 475–221 BCE
Finial
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Finial as metalwork (China, Henan province, Jincun, Warring States period (475–221 BCE) · 475–221 BCE).
This finial is made to be placed on the top of a pole or staff.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this metalwork as bronze inlaid with gold and silver.
The museum's collection notes: Chariots and weapons were associated with hunting and warfare in the ancient world. Those bronze fittings with lavish inlaid decoration were status symbols of rulers and high-ranking officials. This finial combines extravagance and ferocious beauty to reveal the aesthetics of the time. The birds with hooked beaks are above the intertwined serpent-dragons. Such artistic conception emphasizes the power of the bird in combat. Every facet of this finial is exquisitely crafted to give full play to the inlaid decoration.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtFinialOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.