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Arrow vase (touhu)

ca. 1748
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.
This arrow vase’s body derives from an archaic ritual grain vessel (gui), but the long neck and four tubular handles reflect the contemporary touhu style. A poem by the Qianlong emperor, cast across a central band, emphasized the emperor’s erudition, extolling his exploration of the game’s ritual origins beyond its role as a source of entertainment.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 清乾隆　銅御題詩投壺
  • Title: Arrow vase (touhu)
  • Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
  • Date: ca. 1748
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Copper alloy
  • Dimensions: H. 21 5/8 in. (55 cm); W. 11 7/16 in. (29 cm); Wt. 32 lb. (14.5 kg)
  • Classification: Metalwork
  • Credit Line: Lent by The Palace Museum
  • Rights and Reproduction: Photograph courtesy of The Palace Museum, Beijing
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art