Peking glass of the Qianlong era
Chinese cased glass carved like stone, made in the emperor’s workshops in Beijing.
Emperor Kangxi founded a glass workshop in the Forbidden City in 1696 with the help of Jesuits. Under Qianlong (1736–1795) glass became a distinctly Chinese craft. Examples are in the Palace Museum in Beijing and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Materials: Opaque glass in several layers, often red over white or yellow
Manufacture: The glass was carved and ground like jade or lacquer, with the same tools stone carvers used.
The bold carved relief in one colour over another.
The emperor’s reign mark, Qianlong nianzhi, cut under the foot.