Album of illustrated cotton production and poems composed by the Qianlong Emperor

late 18th century
Not on view
In 1765 Fang Guancheng (1698–1768), the viceroy of Zhili (present-day Hebei province), presented the Qianlong Emperor with a set of sixteen paintings depicting the process of cotton production. Recognizing the series as an important testament to the achievements of local agriculture, the emperor composed poems for each illustration. The images and verses influenced designs for imperial works of art in various media. This jade album condenses the original sixteen paintings into ten pages.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 清乾隆 御題棉花圖玉冊頁
  • Title: Album of illustrated cotton production and poems composed by the Qianlong Emperor
  • Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong period (1736–95)
  • Date: late 18th century
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Jade (nephrite)
  • Dimensions: Each plaque: 6 × 4 in. (15.2 × 10.2 cm)
  • Classification: Jade
  • Credit Line: Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015
  • Object Number: 2015.500.5.45
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.