Bowl
Unknown Artist
Medium
Nephrite, spinach-green lightly flecked with black
Dimensions
H. 3 3/8 in. (8.5 cm); W. 11 13/16 in. (30 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
02.18.687
Art Historical Context
This elegant spinach-green nephrite jade bowl, crafted during China's Qing dynasty Qianlong period (173695), exemplifies the imperial era's mastery of jade carving. Measuring just 3⅜ inches high and nearly 12 inches wide, its shallow, wide form suggests it served both practical and ceremonial purposes, perhaps for offerings or displaying delicacies at court banquets. The lightly flecked black inclusions enhance the stone's natural beauty, a prized "spinach-green" variety sourced from regions like Hetian, evoking the lush vitality of imperial gardens. Qianlong jade workshops, under the emperor...