China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong period (1736–95) / 1736–95
Cup with Daoist Figures
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Cup with Daoist Figures as jade (China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong period (1736–95) · 1736–95).
Two female immortals serve as handles, while a Daoist procession with immortals, musicians, and attendants winds around the body of the cup.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this jade as Pale greenish-white jade.
The museum's collection notes: 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.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtCup with Daoist FiguresOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.