Waterpot with Ram's Head Spout, 1700s. Pure white jade like this, known to the Chinese as "mutton-fat" jade, is particularly prized. The white colour has been the preferred shade of jade throughout the ages. The radiance and purity are linked metaphorically to the virtues of the ideal Confucian scholar. The translucent quality of the jade has moral and poetic allusions attached to it.

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Photo credit: © Heritage Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1644-1911, art, china, cleveland, dynasty, heritage, jade, museum, qing, unknown, white