Fragrance Container (1736–95): Art, History and Details

Fragrance Container (1736–95) 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 (1644–1911) dynasty, 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 spinach-green jade incense burner has pierced floral designs and four pierced floral handles. It illustrates the superb carving skills and the creative mind of its accomplished creator, who sought clients on a competitive market.

Object facts

• Title: Fragrance Container
• Date: 1736–95
• Culture: China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong reign (1736–95)
• Type: Jade
• Technique: jade
• Dimensions: Overall: 14.6 cm (5 3/4 in.)
• Collection: China - Qing Dynasty
• Department: Chinese Art
• Accession number: 1942.617.b

Collection credit

Bequest of John L. Severance

Further reading listed by the museum

• Catalogue of the John L. Severance Collection: Bequest of John L. Severance, 1936. [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1942.
• Hollis, Howard. “Department of Oriental Art: Chinese Ceramics and Jades.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 29, no. 9 (November 1942): 150–157.

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.