Figure of Daoist Immortal He Xiangu (detail), 1700s. China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911). Boxwood with colored ivory base; overall: 13.5 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund, 1976.60

CLEVELAND - Objects in miniature have mesmerized people of all cultures throughout the ages. The CMA’s Chinese collection has an extraordinarily large number of high-quality small-scale objects and miniatures from various dynasties. This exhibition focuses on China and explores the role and function of miniatures and small-scale masterpieces of craftsmanship. About 80 objects dating from ancient times to the 1800s will be presented according to their respective use and function in themed sections: “Accessories and Ornaments,” “Ritual and Devotion,” “Luxury and Craftsmanship,” “The Scholar’s Desk,” and “Toys, Boys, and Games.” These themes question each object’s function and role in society as a way of achieving a better understanding of China’s culture and history, as well as miniatures worldwide.

Bringing together more than 80 small-scale masterpieces, the show considers the varied functions of these objects, whether as toys, accessories, religious emblems or decorative pieces. Highlights include a boxwood miniature from the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) depicting one of the eight immortals in the Daoist pantheon, who rides a raft on green waves made from ivory, and a small white jade thumb ring, also from the Qing Dynasty, with a dragon and mouse carved in relief. Elsewhere, a miniature of a kneeling boy from the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) exemplifies the precise detail achieved by ivory artists of the era.

Sun, 12/11/2022 to Sun, 02/26/2023.

Textile Ornaments(?): Pair of Phoenixes, c. 700s. China, Tang dynasty (618–907). Beaten gold with chased detail; part 1: 12 x 10.4 cm; part 2: 13.3 x 10.7 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund, 1942.1083.

These two phoenix birds made of thin gold foil have tiny holes all along its edges, suggesting that they were sewn on textiles.

Kneeling Boy, 1500s. China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Ivory; overall: 11 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Mrs. Severance A. Millikin, 1989.32.

In the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), luxury items became more affordable to larger parts of the society, including women, merchants, and literati in non-official positions. Imperial patronage and a growing urban population encouraged consumption of luxury goods and local craftmanship. This ivory illustrates the superb carving skills and the creative mind of the skilled artisan who sought clients on a competitive market.

Thumb Ring, 1600s. China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911). Jade; diam. 4.2 cm; overall: 2.8 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Cornelia Blakemore Warner, 1947.543.

This white jade thumb ring was carved into the form of a dragon and a mouse in relief.

Figure of Daoist Immortal He Xiangu, 1700s. China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911). Boxwood with colored ivory base; overall: 13.5 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund, 1976.60.

He Xiangu is one of the Eight Immortals in the Daoist pantheon. She was thought to have been a real person who lived in the Tang dynasty, originally named He Qiong. As a teenager, she was instructed in a dream to eat powdered mica to become immune from death and to vow to remain unmarried. She did so and became an enlightened practitioner of Daoism.

In this delicate carving, He Xiangu is placidly seated in a gnarled and knotty wooden raft amid green-tinted ivory waves. In front of her rests a bamboo basket filled with objects associated with Daoist immortality, while she holds a branch of lingzhi fungus.

Goose and Goslings, 1700s. China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911). Jade; overall: 5.2 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Anonymous Gift, 1952.499.

Snuff Bottle with European Figures, 1736–95. China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong mark and reign (1736–95). Painted enamel on copper; overall: 7.4 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Seventy-fifth anniversary gift of Mrs. Noah L. Butkin, 1991.126.

The stopper is decorated with bats, which traditionally symbolize good luck, since both words (蝠 and 福) are both pronounced as fu in Chinese.