The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 5, 2026

An off-white jade vessel features a squat, four-lobed body with golden-brown patches coloring the stone near its raised circular rim. Shallow vertical indentations define the rounded sections, while a low-relief stylized mask with scrolled edges is carved into the front-facing lobe. Wider than it is tall, the vessel's smooth surface is flecked with natural dark specks.

Water Coupe

1500s

Lu Zigang

(Chinese, active 1500s)
China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Jade (white nephrite), signed “Zigang”
height: 4 cm (1 9/16 in.); Diameter: 8 cm (3 1/8 in.)
The MCH Foundation, Inc. 1.2024
Location: 240B Chinese Decorative Arts

Description

Lu Zigang, of Suzhou, was a renowned jade carver during the Jiajing (1521–67) and Wanli (1572–1620) reigns of the Ming dynasty. His magnificent skill was acknowledged in contemporary literature: Zhang Dai commended him for his tour de force that surpassed all his contemporaries of the same century and the Gazetteer of Suzhou recorded that his hairpins showed he had a genius for jade carving. Here he worked a piece of white jade into a superb water jar in the shape of a peach.
  • Collection of Professor Cheng te-k’un, Cambridge, United Kingdom
    Collection of Ralph Wanger, Chicago, Illinois
    (Anthony Carter Limited, London, England, sold to the MCH Foundation)
    The MCH Foundation
  • Wu Hung, Anthony Carter, and Ralph Wanger. The Ralph Wanger Collection of Chinese Jades. London: Anthony Carter Limited, 2023. no. 70
    Morgan, Brian and Wu Hung. Chinese Jades from the Mu-Fei Collection. London: Bluett & Sons, 1990. no. 62
  • {{cite web|title=Water Coupe|url=false|author=Lu Zigang|year=1500s|access-date=05 July 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1.2024