Rock-form ornament with poem composed by the Qianlong Emperor
This unusual sculpture carved from a pale-green jade boulder resembles a type of scholar’s rock from Lake Tai that has been prized since the Song dynasty (960–1279). Characterized by their scalloped surfaces, these highly esteemed stones are shaped by underwater erosion. On the upper left-hand corner, a poem written by the Qianlong Emperor in 1757 expresses his wonder at the strange form and invokes another famous scenic spot, Feilai Hill, or Peak Flew Hither, in Hangzhou. These elements illustrate the exchanges across media that took place in the eighteenth-century imperial workshops, connections that remain rich with cultural significance.
Artwork Details
- 清乾隆 青玉御題詩飛來峯供石
- Title: Rock-form ornament with poem composed by the Qianlong Emperor
- Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong period (1736–95)
- Date: mid-18th century
- Culture: China
- Medium: Jade (nephrite)
- Dimensions: H. 11 1/2 in. (29.2 cm); W. 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm)
- Classification: Jade
- Credit Line: Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2019
- Object Number: 2019.193.2
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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Chinese
1368–1644
grip, Indian; guard, scabbard, and decoration on blade, Turkish; blade, Iranian
grip, 18th or 19th century; guard and scabbard, 19th century; blade, dated A.H. 1099/1688 CE; decoration on blade, 19th century
China
second half 15th century
Chinese
late 16th–early 17th century
German, perhaps Frankfurt-am-Main
ca. 1705–11
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