清乾隆　御製三老五更說玉冊|Album of the Note on Respect of Elders composed by the Qianlong Emperor

Unknown

Date unknown · Jade (nephrite), sandalwood · Asian Art

In China, jade albums have a long history that can be traced back to the Tang dynasty (618–907). This album presents an innovation on the form dating to the Qianlong period. On each two-page spread, the text on the right is handwritten in gold pigment on a special dark paper, while on the left-hand page the same calligraphy is incised on a jade plaque. The book reflects the meticulous way artists in the eighteenth-century imperial workshop created artwork to meet the emperor’s taste.

Artist

Unknown

Date

Date unknown

Medium

Jade (nephrite), sandalwood

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015