Chinese Artefact 1: Jade Paperweight
Jade Paperweight
17th century
Chinese paperweights were usually made from brass, iron, porcelain, jade or red sandal wood. The ivory paperweight is from the late Ming and early Qing period. Its simple design draws attention to the natural beauty of the ivory grain. The late Ming brass paperweight os cast in the from of a crouching lion with an alluring expression. The carving is bold and precise. So wide-ranging in styles and imaginative in design were paper weights that artists saw them as a source of inspiration. The paperweight is still being used in modern times, with the exception of the usage of jade or brass, and is replaced with mostly plastic. Other items would also serve the purpose of a paperweight.
Chinese Artefact 2: Shadow puppets
Shadow puppets are made from hides(skins) of animals. This form of entertainment started in the Song dynasty and became popular towards the Qing dynasty. Shows are normally performed in darkened rooms with a white cloth acting as a screen. A light source is shown from behind the screen and puppeteers would take their positions in between. This would cause a clear shadow of the puppet to appear on the screen, thus giving it its name. Shadow puppets are manipulated by a series of sticks attached to their limbs which are able to rotate in order to produce life-like motions. The advances in this artefact is that in modern times, puppet shows are performed as well sometimes for entertainment, for example for television shows like Sesame Street. The puppets had also changed and do not rely on the shadow and intensity of the light for effects.
Chinese Artefact 3: Rose Dish
Large
Famille Rose Dish
Yongzheng mark and period
(1723-1735)
Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province
Decorated in famille rose, this dish gets its name from the pink enamel made from mixing crushed rubies dispersed in a clear enamel base with an opaque white enamel to achieve and opaque ping enamel. However, when the Chinese started to use pink enamel, Western glassmakers in Europe were already using it, so the European tradition was a source of inspiration.
Opaque enamels were also used in the painting of this tranquil scene of nature. The main design in this item is the chrysanthemum, which embodies one of the four noble qualities of a gentleman. The actual plant is able to withstand the winter cold and therefore represents the attributes of strength and integrity.
Nowadays, these type of dishes are not used as serving dishes anymore, instead they have taken on the role of ornaments and decorations around chinese and westerner households. Even though it is no longer used, one can still appreciate its beauty.
