Cleveland Museum of Art

Cup with Daoist Figures

Date: 1736–95
Medium: Pale greenish-white jade
Culture: China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong period (1736–95)
Department: Chinese Art
Institution: Cleveland Museum of Art

During the Qing dynasty, Suzhou’s best products were sent north to the capital. Those that met imperial approval were sometimes graced with Qianlong’s mark, added by calligraphers and jade workers at court. The lack of a Qianlong mark on the Cleveland cup suggests that it might not have reached the court. Previously dated to the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), new scholarship dates this cup to the Qing period. Two female immortals serve as handles, while a Daoist procession with immortals, musicians, and attendants winds around the body of the cup.

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