Hand warmer
Not on view
This jewel-like hand warmer is an elegant example of a functional object. Before the invention of modern heating, Chinese used various utensils to warm up their living spaces, such as stove-beds, braziers, and hand warmers. Containing a glowing piece of charcoal embedded in ash, this vessel would have provided a welcome source of warmth in an unheated room. For upscale families, such closely held utensils were often beautifully designed. Zhang Mingqi (act. 17th c.), who signed the current piece, was known as the most outstanding maker of hand warmers during the late Ming and Qing dynasties.
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