Miniature Vase
Unknown Artist
Medium
Nephrite, white with a light greenish tint and a few russet stainings
Dimensions
H. 1 5/8 in. (4.2 cm); W. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 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
02.18.615
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Miniature Vase, from nephrite jade—white with a subtle greenish tint and delicate russet stainings—exemplifies the pinnacle of Chinese jade during the Qianlong period (173695) of the Qing (1644–1911). Standing just 1 5/8 inches (4.2 cm) tall and 3 1/4 inches (8.3 cm) wide, its diminutive size belies the extraordinary technical mastery required to shape such a hard, resilient stone into a flawless vessel form. Nephrite, revered in China for millennia as the "stone of heaven," symbolizes purity, immortality, and imperial virtue, making objects like this prized possessions for the ...