Girdle buckle
Unknown Artist
Medium
Nephrite, white with faint grayish tint
Dimensions
H. 1 5/16 in. (3.4 cm); W. 1 15/16 in. (4.9 cm); D. 5/16 in. (0.8 cm)
Classification
Jade
Culture & Period
China · Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong period (1736–95)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Heber R. Bishop, 1902
Accession Number
02.18.573
Art Historical Context
This delicate girdle buckle, crafted from nephrite jade with its signature white hue and faint gray tint, hails from China's Qing dynasty during the Qianlong period (6–95). Measuring just 1 5/16 inches high and 1 15/16 inches wide, it the era's mastery of jade carving, a medium revered in Chinese culture for over 7,000 years. Neph, tougher than silk yet carved to jewel-like precision, symbolized purity, immortality, and imperial virtue—qualities prized by the Qianlong emperor, a passionate patron of the arts who amassed vast jade collections. Girdle buckles like this were essential accessorie...