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Water container and spoon

mid-18th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 216
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.
Scholar’s objects were often made from bronze, but matched sets were rare. The eclectic approach of carefully assembling objects of various mediums changed during the eighteenth century, especially at the Qing court, for which the imperial workshop in Beijing created sets of writing utensils, such as the current one. The heavy gilding and rich surface ornaments manifest imperial power and luxury.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 清乾隆　銅鎏金水盛及匙
  • Title: Water container and spoon
  • Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong mark and period (1736–95)
  • Date: mid-18th century
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Gilt copper alloy
  • Dimensions: H. 3 1/8 in. (8 cm); Diam. 2 3/8 in. (6.3 cm); Diam. of rim 1 5/16 in. (3.4 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork
  • Credit Line: Lent by The Palace Museum
  • Rights and Reproduction: Photograph courtesy of The Palace Museum, Beijing
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art