Silver Raft-Shaped Cup by Zhu Bishan
The silver raft-shaped wine cup was created by Zhu Bishan, an eminent silversmith in the Yuan Dynasty. In Chinese mythology, one could take a wooden raft across the sea and reach the heavenly river, and this means of transport has inspired many art and craft works.
The wine cup was crafted in the shape of a raft resembling an old tree. The hollow part was used to store wine. A Taoist wearing a loose robe and with his hair tied up, who has long beard and eyebrows, sits on the raft while gazing at a book in his hand. The bottom of the silver raft was engraved with verses such as "Storing jade liquid and feeling free" and "Knowing the fun of wine, leaving a name in the world" to express the joy of drinking.
The front of the tail is carved with the Chinese characters "龙槎 (long cha)", literally meaning "Dragon Raft", and the back is etched with its year and place of production as well as the name of its creator.
The production process for this cup involved a variety of techniques. The main body was carved after casting, and the head, hands, and shoes of the figure were cast and then welded together with other parts. The finished artifact looks flawless, without any welding traces.
Only four silver raft-shaped cups attributed to Zhu Bishan have survived to this day, and the other three are respectively housed in the Palace Museum in Taipei, the Museum of Wu in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, and the Cleveland Museum of Art in the United States.
This silver raft-shaped cup boasts ingenious design and superb craftsmanship and combines the characteristics of Chinese painting and sculpture, representing the high level of silver casting techniques in the Yuan Dynasty.
朱碧山银槎
朱碧山银槎（chá）是一件白银制成的酒杯，为元代著名银匠朱碧山的代表作品。槎即木筏，在中国古代传说中，可以乘槎穿越大海，寻访与之相连的天河，是很多作品的灵感来源。
酒杯被铸成形似老树的槎状，中空以贮酒，一位道人倚坐槎上，束发宽袍，须眉皓然，正凝视手中书卷。槎底部刻有“贮玉液而自畅”“知得酒中趣，方留世上名”等诗句，表达饮酒之趣。槎尾正面刻有“龙槎”二字，背面则刻槎杯的制作年代、制作地点和作者等。此杯运用了多种制作工艺，主体为铸成后雕刻，人物的头、手、云履等则是铸成后接焊，成品浑然一体，丝毫不显焊接痕迹。现存于世的朱碧山银槎仅有4件，另外3件分别藏于台北故宫博物院、吴文化博物馆和美国克利夫兰艺术博物馆。
这件银槎构思巧妙，技艺精湛，兼具中国绘画与雕塑的特点，代表了元代铸银工艺的高超水平。
