Qing Butterfly Earrings

Description

The Museum’s collection holds a nineteenth-century album by an anonymous artist, with twelve colorful paintings on paper that show stylized butterflies to brilliant effect. A popular motif in Chinese art, butterflies often represent summer, romance, and dreams. Our colorful earrings are based on butterfly images from this vivid Qing album.

24K gold overlay, hand enameled. 7/8''W. Pierced, with gold-filled posts.

Art History

In the early seventeenth century, the Manchus, a semi-nomadic people from the northeast, took over China and established the Qing (”pure”) dynasty (1644–1911). Under the Manchus the arts flourished, especially during the reigns of the emperors Kangxi (r. 1662–1722), Yongzheng (r. 1722–36), and Qianlong (r. 1736–95). These rulers embraced Chinese artistic traditions and supported the production of elegant paintings on silk and paper as well as exquisite wares for the elite.