On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Vase with waves, conchs, and birds
Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong mark and period (1736–95)
Titled “Han[-style] clear river and tranquil sea vase of four happiness” (Han heqinghaiyan sixiping), this type of vase appears in an imperial archival record dated 1739. The upper band of waves suggests a river so clear that conchs are visible below, while the lower band, which shows swallows swimming, implies a placid sea; the four ring handles offer a visual pun as “handle” and “happiness” have the same pronunciation (xi) in Chinese. While the vessel’s bronze medium and general shape evoke antique models, its decoration is a contemporary interpretation of a literary phrase with auspicious connotations for the emperor’s reign.
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