Vase
Unknown Artist
Medium
Nephrite, dark olive-green, translucent, and mottled by lighter shades
Dimensions
H. 4 15/16 in. (12.6 cm); W. 2 11/16 in. (6.8 cm); D. 1 3/16 in. (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
02.18.673
Art Historical Context
This exquisite nephrite jade vase, carved from dark olive-green stone translucent and mottled with lighter shades, hails from China's Qing dynasty during the Qianlong period (173695). Standing just under 5 inches tall (H. 4 15/16 in.), with a width of 2 11/16 in. and depth 1 3/16 in., its petite scale suggests it was designed as a refined table ornament or incense holder for scholarly elites or imperial collections. Nephrite, one of China's most revered materials since ancient times, was prized for its toughness and luminous quality, often symbolizing purity and imperial virtue. The Qianlong ...