Dish
Unknown Artist
18th century
Medium
Chalcedony-agate
Dimensions
H. 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm); W. 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm)
Classification
Hardstone
Culture
China
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Heber R. Bishop, 1902
Accession Number
02.18.893
Art Historical Context
This exquisite 18th-century dish from China, carved from chalcedony-agate, the masterful hardstone craftsmanship of the Qing dynasty. just 1¼ inches high and 3⅛ inches wide, its petite scale belies the precision required to shape this semi-precious stone, prized for its luminous translucency and subtle veining that mimics natural landscapes or watery depths. Displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art Department, it entered the collection as a gift from Heber R. Bishop in 1902, a renowned collector of such rarities. In imperial China, hardstone carving reached new heights during t...