Vitrine Containing Twenty-Five Ornaments
Unknown Artist
18th–19th century
Medium
a-y: Jade and other materials: z: wood vitrine with strips of ivory fret
Dimensions
a. Bird pendant: H. 2 in. (5.1 cm); W. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm) b. Standing man: H. 2 in. (5.1 cm) c. Standing man: H. 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm) d. Flower and leaf: H. 1 in. (2.5 cm); L. 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm) e. Floral buncH. H. 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm); Diam. 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm) f. Vase with coral spray: H. 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm), (vase) g. Tree and bird: H. 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm) h. 2 small animals: H. 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm); L. 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm) i. Leaf with lotus of amethyst quartz: H. 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm) j. Vase with coral spray:H. 4 3/4 in. (12.1 cm) overall k. ?: H. 1 in. (2.5 cm); L. 3 13/16 in. (9.7 cm) l. Plaque and grapes: H. 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm); W. 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm) m. Gourd and leaves: H. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm); W. 2 in. (5.1 cm) n. Bowl with leaves:H. 1 in. (2.5 cm); L. 2 3/4 in. (7 cm) o. Horse? and rider: H. 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm); W. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm) p. Standing man: H. 2 5/8 in. (6.7 cm) q. Pendant: L. 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm) r. Landscape plaque: H. 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm); W. 2 3/8 in. (6 cm) s. 2 animals: H. 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm); W. 2 in. (5.1 cm) t. Monkey on gourd: H. 2 in. (5.1 cm) u. Dog: H. 7/8 in. (2.2 cm); L. 2 in. (5.1 cm) v. Cat and kitten: H. 3/4 in. (1.9 cm); W. 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm) w. 2 figures: H. 1 11/16 in. (4.3 cm); W. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm) x. Seated figure:H. 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm); W. 1 in. (2.5 cm) y. Bird: H. 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm); L. 2 3/8 in. (6 cm) z. Cabinet: H. 43 3/4 in. (111.1 cm); W. 22 in. (55.9 cm)
Classification
Jade
Culture & Period
China · Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Mary Stillman Harkness, 1950
Accession Number
50.145.85a–z
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This exquisite vitrine, housing twenty-five intricately carved ornaments from China's Qing dynasty (16441911), showcases the pinnacle of jade artistry during the 18th–19th. Crafted by an unknown artist, the collection features delicate sculptures of birds, animals, human figures, floral motifs, landscapes—such as a bird pendant, standing men, a monkey on a gourd, and vases with coral sprays—all rendered in jade with accents of amethyst quartz, coral, and other materials. These small treasures, mostly under 3 inches tall, reflect the era's reverence for jade (yu), a stone symbolizing purity, immortality, and imperial virtue, often gifted or used in scholarly adornments. The wooden vitrine, standing over 43 inches high with ivory fretwork, elegantly displays these pieces like a miniature cabinet of wonders, evoking Qing elite connoisseurship. Jade carving techniques, honed over centuries, involved precise tools to reveal the stone's translucent "mutton-fat" qualities, with motifs drawing from nature and folklore for auspicious meanings—a horse and rider for success, lotus for enlightenment. Bequeathed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1950 by Mary Stillman Harkness, this ensemble highlights the dynasty's opulent craftsmanship amid growing trade in luxury goods. Step closer to appreciate how these ornaments capture Qing China's blend of technical mastery and cultural symbolism, inviting reflection on a world where beauty embodied harmony with the cosmos.