12th Mar, 2026 11:00
The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers Part 2
56
A PAIR OF FINE ROCK CRYSTAL CUPS WITH FINE GOLD REPOUSSÉ COVERS, LIAO DYNASTY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
€3,000
€6,000
A buyer’s premium of 30.00% (including VAT) applies to the hammer price of this lot if your bid is successful.
Published (part lot): Myrna Myers (ed.) & Filippo Salviati (auth.), The Language of Adornment. Chinese Ornaments of Jade, Crystal, Amber and Glass, Paris, 2002, no. 69.
China, 10th-11th century. Each finely carved with a short, rounded body gently tapering toward a flat foot and rising to a thick-lipped mouth with a shallow groove below the rim, possibly intended to accommodate a cord for suspension. The body boldly incised with stylized petal motifs and embellished with gold foil.
Both cups fitted with a gold lid, decorated with finely embossed designs on a ring-punched ground, depicting circling makaras and phoenixes with outstretched wings. The lids connected to the cups by gold chains. (2)
Provenance: The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers, Paris, France. Acquired between circa 1965-2012.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and natural inclusions. Light traces of use. Occasional minute nicks and few small chips to edges.
Weight: 169.6 g (total)
Dimensions: Height 4.8 cm and 5.1 cm, diameter (mouth) 3.6 cm and 3.8 cm
Three comparable rock crystal cups, albeit with plain gold covers, were discovered near the waist of the Princess of Chen in her tomb indicating that they were likely suspended from a belt. The Princess was interred alongside her husband, Xiao Shaoju, with their bodies laid side by side on a wooden funerary couch and their sumptuous attire and personal ornaments provided visual testimony to elite Khitan burial customs, reflecting aspirations for a luxurious afterlife.
Many of the objects found within the tomb were spirit goods (mingqi) intended exclusively for the grave rather than for daily use. In numerous cases, garments and accessories were clearly gendered, underscoring the identity of the deceased. While the mask of the prince was adorned with a mustache and distinctively masculine accessories, such as a small knife and an awl, were suspended from his belt, the cincture of the princess bore feminine accoutrements, including gold purses, jade implements, and crystal containers. Given that the consort of the Princess of Chen is recorded as a devotee of Taoism, it is conceivable that these containers once held herbs or substances associated with Taoist practices.
In instances where crystal containers were used by men, it was often the decorative motifs on the covers that conveyed distinctions of gender: vessels adorned with phoenixes were likely intended for women, while those featuring makaras may have been reserved for men. It is also plausible that members of the Liao aristocracy were entitled to vessels of particular materials and designs, reflecting their social rank and official position.
The 1986 discovery of the joint tomb of the Princess of the State of Chen and her husband in Southeastern Inner Mongolia revealed an unparalleled richness in funerary attire characteristic of the Liao dynasty. This marked the first discovery of an undisturbed royal tomb from this period, offering a rare glimpse into a little-understood historical era when the semi-nomadic Khitan ruled vast territories of Northeastern China.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related group of three rock crystal cups with undecorated gold covers, from the tomb of the Princess of Chen and Xiao Shaoju at Qinglongshan Town, Naiman Banner, Liao dynasty, dated 10th-11th century, 3.5 cm high, held by the Research Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology of Inner Mongolia, and included in the exhibition organized by Asia Society, Gilded Splendor. Treasures of China’s Liao Empire (907-1125), New York, Cologne, and Switzerland, 2006-2007, and illustrated in the exhibition catalog, p. 329, no. 101a-c.
Published (part lot): Myrna Myers (ed.) & Filippo Salviati (auth.), The Language of Adornment. Chinese Ornaments of Jade, Crystal, Amber and Glass, Paris, 2002, no. 69.
China, 10th-11th century. Each finely carved with a short, rounded body gently tapering toward a flat foot and rising to a thick-lipped mouth with a shallow groove below the rim, possibly intended to accommodate a cord for suspension. The body boldly incised with stylized petal motifs and embellished with gold foil.
Both cups fitted with a gold lid, decorated with finely embossed designs on a ring-punched ground, depicting circling makaras and phoenixes with outstretched wings. The lids connected to the cups by gold chains. (2)
Provenance: The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers, Paris, France. Acquired between circa 1965-2012.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and natural inclusions. Light traces of use. Occasional minute nicks and few small chips to edges.
Weight: 169.6 g (total)
Dimensions: Height 4.8 cm and 5.1 cm, diameter (mouth) 3.6 cm and 3.8 cm
Three comparable rock crystal cups, albeit with plain gold covers, were discovered near the waist of the Princess of Chen in her tomb indicating that they were likely suspended from a belt. The Princess was interred alongside her husband, Xiao Shaoju, with their bodies laid side by side on a wooden funerary couch and their sumptuous attire and personal ornaments provided visual testimony to elite Khitan burial customs, reflecting aspirations for a luxurious afterlife.
Many of the objects found within the tomb were spirit goods (mingqi) intended exclusively for the grave rather than for daily use. In numerous cases, garments and accessories were clearly gendered, underscoring the identity of the deceased. While the mask of the prince was adorned with a mustache and distinctively masculine accessories, such as a small knife and an awl, were suspended from his belt, the cincture of the princess bore feminine accoutrements, including gold purses, jade implements, and crystal containers. Given that the consort of the Princess of Chen is recorded as a devotee of Taoism, it is conceivable that these containers once held herbs or substances associated with Taoist practices.
In instances where crystal containers were used by men, it was often the decorative motifs on the covers that conveyed distinctions of gender: vessels adorned with phoenixes were likely intended for women, while those featuring makaras may have been reserved for men. It is also plausible that members of the Liao aristocracy were entitled to vessels of particular materials and designs, reflecting their social rank and official position.
The 1986 discovery of the joint tomb of the Princess of the State of Chen and her husband in Southeastern Inner Mongolia revealed an unparalleled richness in funerary attire characteristic of the Liao dynasty. This marked the first discovery of an undisturbed royal tomb from this period, offering a rare glimpse into a little-understood historical era when the semi-nomadic Khitan ruled vast territories of Northeastern China.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related group of three rock crystal cups with undecorated gold covers, from the tomb of the Princess of Chen and Xiao Shaoju at Qinglongshan Town, Naiman Banner, Liao dynasty, dated 10th-11th century, 3.5 cm high, held by the Research Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology of Inner Mongolia, and included in the exhibition organized by Asia Society, Gilded Splendor. Treasures of China’s Liao Empire (907-1125), New York, Cologne, and Switzerland, 2006-2007, and illustrated in the exhibition catalog, p. 329, no. 101a-c.
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Auction: The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers Part 2, 12th Mar, 2026
Online Catalog: Jump to the Online Catalog
It is with great pleasure that we present the second part of the Sam and Myrna Myers Collection — an extraordinary ensemble that has traveled across continents and inspired scholars, connoisseurs, and collectors alike. It is, without question, one of the most significant and important collections ever entrusted to this gallery. Learn more.
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