Snuff bottle with gourd on a trellis

China

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 219

The ingenious use of different colors or flaws in the stone is a technique known as "smart colors," which can produce unexpected spectacles in the hands of experienced carving masters. Here the artist creates the image of a gourd hanging from a trellis by simply polishing the surface of the stone and leaving the dark spot and veins untouched.

Snuff bottle with gourd on a trellis, Chalcedony with jadeite stopper, China

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Side 1 of 2