Female Figure with Crane and Squirrel (1662–1722): Art, History and Details

Female Figure with Crane and Squirrel (1662–1722) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

In the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), luxury items became more affordable to larger parts of the society, including women, merchants, and literati in non-official positions. Imperial patronage and a growing urban population encouraged consumption of luxury goods and local craftmanship. This ivory form of a woman with a crane illustrates the superb skills and the creative mind of the talented artisan who sought clients on a competitive market.

Object facts

• Title: Female Figure with Crane and Squirrel
• Date: 1662–1722
• Culture: China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911), Kangxi reign (1662-1722)
• Type: Ivory
• Technique: ivory
• Dimensions: Overall: 16.2 cm (6 3/8 in.)
• Collection: China - Qing Dynasty
• Department: Chinese Art
• Accession number: 1964.240

A detail from the museum

The ivory has aged to a rich amber, while traces of its original red and green paint remain on the woman’s cuffs and collar.

Collection credit

Severance and Greta Millikin Collection

Further reading listed by the museum

• Catalogue of the Severance and Greta Millikin Collection. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1990.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.