Lotus Blossom made from Sheet Bronze

Description

A thin copper plate was cut into a lotus shape with 6 petals of the same size, with a circular hole in the center. The petals have sharp points all around. Two identical blanks were folded and placed on top of each other to create a flower with 12 petals. It could have been part of a Buddhist offering. In terms of shape, it is very similar to the flower-shaped offering plate from the Tang dynasty, which is now kept in the Shoso-in of the Todai-ji temple in Nara, Japan.

The two metal plates are attached to each other with two rivets. The rivet heads can be seen on the upper side near the central hole, while the rivet plates can be seen on the reverse. It is possible that the flower was attached to another material, such as textile or leather. This is also indicated by at least five small holes in the petals. They could have been used to attach the flower to a base, for example by sewing it on.

3D Visualisation

3D Model: H. Rohland

Images: H. Rohland