Altar Vase 2 at The British Museum, London

myminifactory

The faceted flower vase emulates the form of silver vessels. Their decoration blends motifs from silver and ancient bronzes. Dating back to the 13th-14th Century, this piece is part of the Yuan dynasty culture. The Yuan dynasty, officially known as the Great Yuan, was an empire established by Kublai Khan, leader of the Mongolian Borjigin clan. Although the Mongols had ruled territories including today's North China for decades, it wasn't until 1271 that Kublai Khan formally declared the dynasty in traditional Chinese style. His realm was isolated from other khanates and controlled most of present-day China and surrounding areas, including modern Mongolia and Korea. It was the first foreign dynasty to rule all of China and lasted until 1368, after which its Genghisid rulers returned to their Mongolian homeland and continued to rule the Northern Yuan dynasty. The Yuan dynasty is considered both a successor to the Mongol Empire and an imperial Chinese dynasty. It was a khanate ruled by the successors of Möngke Khan following the division of the Mongol Empire. In official Chinese histories, the Yuan dynasty bore the Mandate of Heaven, following the Song dynasty and preceding the Ming dynasty. The dynasty was founded by Kublai Khan, yet he placed his grandfather Genghis Khan on imperial records as the official founder of the dynasty as Taizu. In the Proclamation of the Dynastic Name, Kublai announced the name of the new dynasty as Great Yuan and claimed succession from former Chinese dynasties from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to the Tang dynasty. This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from across the globe for public access. Scan the World is an open-source community effort; if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how to help. Scanned: Photogrammetry (Processed using Agisoft PhotoScan)