Knife Sheath
Made by rolling a flat piece of silver plate, this knife sheath is decorated on each side with oval panels, including two larger middle panels showing an image of rising dragons with ring-punched scales. The circular upper panels bear the image of seated phoenixes. The flat bottom is engraved with a pair of fish, symbolizing harmonious unity. The trefoil-shaped ring attached to the tip of the sheath allows a string to connect it as a pendant to a belt. In medieval Korea, a miniature sheath such as this was considered an important fashion item, especially for elite members of the ruling class.
Details
- Palette
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Select a color to find related artworks.
- Dimensions
- length: width 0.217 m
- Department
- Korean Art
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Image provider
- cleveland-museum-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Art Genome Taxonomy
11 tags
Subject Matter
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Animals Both · 98%
The museum identifies dragons, phoenixes, and fish as decorative motifs, and the image visibly shows repeated animal forms within framed panels.
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Related to Fashion Metadata · 94%
The catalog describes the miniature sheath as an important medieval Korean fashion item suspended from a belt.
Visual Qualities
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Highly Ornamented Visual · 99%
The visible surface is densely covered with framed panels, stacked borders, bands, and raised or incised ornament.
Medium and Techniques
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Relief Visual · 92%
Animal motifs and surrounding ornament visibly project from and sit within recessed framed fields, producing a tactile raised surface.
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Etching/Engraving Metadata · 91%
The catalog specifically describes an engraved pair of fish at the flat bottom of the sheath.
Time Periods
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1000 - 1400 CE Art Metadata · 99%
The object is dated to the 1100s, which falls within the 1000–1400 CE period.
Geographic Regions
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Asian Art Metadata · 98%
The catalog identifies the place of origin as Korea and classifies the object as Korean Art; the broader catalog region is Asian Art.
Materials
Jewelry and Fashion Object Types
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Costume Accessory Metadata · 89%
The sheath was designed to be suspended from a belt by a ring and string, and the catalog characterizes it as a fashion item.
Source & rights
Unknown artist. Knife Sheath. Cleveland Museum of Art.