China, 618-907. Both sides of the flat circular box are finely chased, the cover neatly embossed to the center with a tortoise entwined with a snake, their heads confronted, the serpent’s scales and tortoise’s carapace meticulously incised, encircled by two foliate bands divided by a raised line band. The sides of the box and cover with a similar foliate band, the underside similarly decorated with two confronted phoenixes centered by a flowerhead and encircled by a raised line and a foliate band, all against a ring-punched ground.

Provenance: Hong Kong trade.
Condition: Very good condition with some old wear, traces of use and manufacturing irregularities, expected minor tarnishing to the silver, and few tiny dents.

Weight: 50.3 g
Dimensions: Diameter 6 cm

The Black Tortoise (xuanwu) is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations, which emerged in Chinese cosmology around the third century BC and became firmly established in the following centuries. Despite its English name, it is usually depicted as a tortoise entwined together with a snake. The name used in East Asian languages does not mention either animal. The alternative name ‘Black (or Dark or Mysterious) Warrior’ is a more faithful translation. It represents the north and the winter season, thus it is sometimes called Xuanwu of the North. The creature's name is identical to that of the important Taoist god Xuanwu, who is sometimes (as in Journey to the West) portrayed in the company of a turtle and a snake.

This depiction of a tortoise entwined with a snake is highly symbolic. According to Chinese mythology, tortoises are exclusively female and must be paired with snakes, which have similarly shaped heads, to conceive. Therefore, the adroitly entwined tortoise and snake do not represent a violent struggle, but rather a harmonious balance of Yin and Yang. Interestingly, neither is capable of defeating the other, as the snake is unable to crush the tortoise’s shell and reach its vital organs while the tortoise is unable to attack the serpent due to its short limbs and neck. Furthermore, the creature's name is identical to that of the important Daoist god Xuanwu, who is sometimes (as in Journey to the West) portrayed in the company of a turtle and a snake.

Literature comparison:
Compare the mural of the Black Tortoise, dated early 7^th century, Goguryeo Kingdom, painted on the northern wall of the Great Tomb of Kangso in Pyongyang. Compare a bronze mirror with symbols of the four cardinal directions, including the Black Tortoise, dated 7^th century, Sui or Tang dynasty, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 2022.151.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 12 September 2019, lot 544
Price: USD 102,500 or approx. EUR 108,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A finely engraved small silver ‘mandarin duck’ box and cover, Tang dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the related circular (though convex) form and chased decoration, however lacking the embossed details to the center. Note the smaller size (4.4 cm).



唐代玄武紋銀盒
中國，618-907年。扁圓盒兩面精美雕刻，雙層纏枝卷葉紋，中央開光，浮雕龜蛇纏繞，蛇首相對，蛇鱗和龜甲細節可辨。盒子的側面有相似的卷葉紋。盒底裝飾雙層纏枝花卉紋，中央開光，浮雕面對面的鳳凰。所有紋飾以圓點為地。

來源：香港古玩交易。
品相：狀況極好，有一些磨損、使用痕跡和製造瑕疵，銀質輕微變色，輕微小凹痕。

重量：50.3 克
尺寸：直徑 6 厘米

玄武，中國古代神話中的天之四靈之一，又名龜蛇 ，源於遠古星宿崇拜。玄武是一種由龜和蛇組合成的一種靈物，北方玄武象徵四像中的老陰，四季中的冬季，同時也是天之北陸。

這幅烏龜纏蛇的描繪極具象徵意義。根據中國神話，烏龜是唯一的女性，必須與頭部形狀相似的蛇配對才能構精。因此，纏繞的龜蛇並不代表激烈的鬥爭，而是陰陽的和諧平衡。此外該生物的名字與重要的道教神玄武的名字相同，玄武有時（如在西遊記中）被描繪成一隻烏龜和一條蛇。

文獻比較：
比較七世紀初期高句麗黑玄武壁畫，畫於平壤的江西三墓的北牆。比較一件七世紀隋或唐代四方神獸銅鏡，其中也有黑玄武，收藏於大都會藝術博物館，館藏編號2022.151。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2019年9月12日，lot 544
價格：USD 102,500（相當於今日EUR 108,000）
描述：唐銀鏨刻鴛鴦紋蓋盒
專家評論：比較相近的圓形外形和裝飾，但缺少中心的浮雕細節。請注意尺寸較小(4.4 厘米)。

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