Altar Vase 3 at The British Museum, London

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The intricate flower vase copies the sleek form of ancient silver vessels. Its decoration blends motifs from refined silver and timeless bronze relics. From the 13th-14th Century, this exquisite piece is a testament to the grandeur of the Yuan dynasty culture. The Yuan dynasty, officially known as the Great Yuan, was the powerful empire established by Kublai Khan, leader of the Mongolian Borjigin clan. Although the Mongols had controlled territories including modern North China for decades, it was not until 1271 that Kublai Khan formally declared the dynasty in a traditional Chinese style. By this point, his realm was isolated from other khanates and dominated most of present-day China and its 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 govern the Northern Yuan dynasty. The Yuan dynasty is regarded as both a successor to the mighty Mongol Empire and an imperial Chinese dynasty. It was the khanate ruled by the successors of Möngke Khan following the division of the Mongol Empire. In official Chinese histories, the Yuan dynasty held the Mandate of Heaven, succeeding the Song dynasty and preceding the Ming dynasty. The dynasty was founded by Kublai Khan, yet he honored his grandfather Genghis Khan as the official founder of the dynasty, known as Taizu. In the Proclamation of the Dynastic Name, Kublai announced the name of the new dynasty as Great Yuan and claimed the succession of former Chinese dynasties from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to the Tang dynasty.