fountain-shaped; bell-shaped foot with flat-sided basin; central vertical element with small basin at top with pointed spike at center; decorated overall with organic and geometric designs

Imperial Candlestick, 18th century

Unknown artist, expand_more

Bronzeexpand_more

Gift of Ruth and Bruce Daytonexpand_more  99.121.1.4

Standard ritual bronzes cast for the altar comprise five vessels (wu gang), a censer, two candlesticks, and a pair of vases. Early woodblock prints depict these objects formally arranged in a line across the altar table with the censer used as a centerpiece flanked by candlesticks with the vases at the two ends. Ritual bronze vessels like these, made for the imperial palaces and temples, were governed by state regulations under a section titled, "Rules for Making Sacrificial Vessels and Ornaments for Temple Use." The archaistic décor including taotie masks and cicada blades against a spiral ground is a revival of a Song dynasty (960-1279) style which was itself an interpretation of ancient Shang and Zhou (16th c. - 221 BCE) ritual bronzes. Each vessel of this large and important set bears the six-character reign mark of the Yongzheng emperor (1723-35), and the censer and candlesticks bear the additional characters jingzhi (made with reverence).

Details
Title
Imperial Candlestick
Role
Artist
Accession Number
99.121.1.4
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know

Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.

fountain-shaped; bell-shaped foot with flat-sided basin; central vertical element with small basin at top with pointed spike at center; decorated overall with organic and geometric designs