清中期 水晶天雞尊|Covered vessel in the shape of a heavenly rooster

Unknown

18th–19th century · Rock crystal · Asian Art

Containers in the shape of a rooster carrying a vessel on its back are an invention of Song dynasty (960–1279) antiquarians, who believed that such ritual vessels existed in the classical age of ancient China. This rock crystal vessel was modeled after the bronze ones that were catalogued as “heavenly rooster vases” (tianjizun) in the collection of Emperor Qianlong (r. 1736–95), who had a deep interest in the antiquities. The term “heavenly rooster” comes from a Chinese legend about a mythical bird whose crowing awakens the whole world.

Artist

Unknown

Date

18th–19th century

Medium

Rock crystal

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Heber R. Bishop, 1902