Pendant
Unknown Artist
Medium
Nephrite
Dimensions
H. 2 1/16 in. (5.3 cm); W. 1 5/16 in. (3.3 cm); D. 11/16 in. (1.8 cm)
Classification
Jade
Culture & Period
China · Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Jiaqing period (1796–1820)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Heber R. Bishop, 1902
Accession Number
02.18.708
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate nephrite jade pendant, during China's Qing dynasty in the Jiaqing period (6–1820), the era's masterful jade carving tradition. Measuring just over 2 inches high, its petite form—ideal for personal adornment—suggests it was worn as jewelry, perhaps suspended from a belt or necklace. The smooth, translucent nephrite, a prized form of jade revered in Chinese culture for its purity and durability, was meticulously shaped into a scene featuring animals and men, evoking harmony between humanity and nature, a common motif in imperial art. Jade pendants like this held profound cultural ...