Now on View in the Chinese Decorative Arts Gallery

Cup in the Shape of a Gourd with Leaves and a Flower, Late 18th century, Qing dynasty (1644-1911), Mughal-style, China White nephrite On loan from the collection of Maria and John Dirlam (formerly in the Alan and Simone Hartman Collection)

Flowers and Jewels: Chinese Fascination with the Mughal Style

Originating in Central Asia, the Mughals were descendants of the famous conquerors Genghis Khan and Timur (Tamburlaine). The first Mughal emperor invaded northern India in 1526 and established a dynasty that ruled most of the Indian Subcontinent for two hundred years, even lasting until 1857 in the northern regions. The art of the Mughal Empire was characterized by a refined, realistic use of plant and animal motifs. The Chinese Emperor Qianlong (r.1736-95) was so fascinated by the naturalism and elegance of Mughal jades that he praised them in poems and had them copied at his imperial workshops.

A display in the center case of the Chinese Decorative Arts Gallery explores the influence on Chinese jades of lapidary artworks created by Indian artisans during the Mughal Empire. On view is an exquisite Chinese jade cup in the shape of a gourd, modeled after a famous cup that came as tribute in 1773 from the Mughal court to the Qing court. Among the other featured works is an oval jeweled jade dish that exemplifies the fashioning of jade and gem-setting skills of the craftsmen of the Mughal Empire. As exemplified by a Chinese four-lobed jade box with jeweled lid (as well as a few works on permanent view in the gallery), the influence of the Mughal style on Chinese lapidary craftsmanship continued to be evident into the 20th century.

View of the underside click for larger image

Additional Artworks in the Gallery