Minneapolis Institute of Art

Traveling in Autumn Mountains

China

Date

18th century

Medium

Grayish white nephrite with brown markings

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

In imperial China, horses—and their humbler counterparts, donkeys—were essential for travel, communication, and official duties, allowing scholars and administrators to traverse great distances. In this intricately carved jade mountain, an official rides a donkey across a bridge, followed by an attendant with an umbrella, while another pair appears in the distant heights. The layered landscape of pines, cliffs, and waterfalls evokes classical painting, expressing the literati ideal of harmony between humans and nature. Carved in a Qing imperial workshop, such jade sculptures translated revered landscape traditions into three dimensions, celebrating refined travel and the contemplative life of scholars. Asia

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