Artwork Page for Oval Cup Stand with Animal Masks

Details / Information for Oval Cup Stand with Animal Masks

Oval Cup Stand with Animal Masks

1736–95

China, Qing dynasty, Qianlong mark and period

(1736–95)
Medium
white jade with black markings and incised decoration
Measurements
Overall: 10.5 cm (4 1/8 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Mrs. Severance A. Millikin 1989.327
Public Domain
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Location
240B Chinese Decorative Arts
Print

Description

This tablet is engraved with minuscule characters; the inscribed text is an essay by the Qianlong emperor. The supreme jade quality and similar carving style (for example, the sharp inverted edges) suggest that this jade scepter could have been made during the 1700s with the artistic intent to "model after the past."
A translucent white jade cup stand features an oval tray with a raised circular center containing four carved Chinese characters. The stone is marked by dark brown and black mottled veins at the edges. Intricate patterns of stylized animal masks, scrolls, and geometric lines are incised across the surface, framed by a border of interlocking squares. These detailed designs follow the curves of the tray, creating a symmetrical texture against the polished stone.

Oval Cup Stand with Animal Masks

1736–95

China, Qing dynasty, Qianlong mark and period (1736–95)

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