Landscape | Cleveland Museum of Art

A lone, elderly figure, his retreat from the world tucked into the mountains near a waterfall, looks out his window onto the landscape below. A poem in Chinese at the upper right conveys the atmosphere of the painting—the approach of evening, light coming through clouds, and a cool mountain breeze after a rainfall. The painter, Kan Tenju, was best known as a calligrapher and seal carver with a deep respect for Chinese literature.

Pendant with Chain | Cleveland Museum of Art

The central emerald has been subtly incised with a many-petaled lotus flower, a symbol of the sun, suggesting the radiance of the outsize gem. The enameling on the back depicts a peacock with a pair of peahens amid flowers. Peacocks signal the monsoon rains. The refined use of enamel indicates that this piece was assembled in the specialized workshops of Jaipur, but the size of the emerald suggests that it was made for imperial use.

Nine Dragon Pool | Cleveland Museum of Art

In the second half of the 1600s, Huangshan 黃山 (Mt. Huang or Yellow Mountain) attracted many visitors and inspired artists like Mei Qing. He probably sketched the Nine Dragon Pool on his second trip to the mountain range in 1690, at the advanced age of 68 <em>sui</em>. This dramatic waterfall has nine curves, each forming an emerald green pool. After heavy rain, the rushing water looks like nine white dragons.

Ichimura Uzaemon IX as Shingen in “A String of Prayer Beads Shaken at a Ribbon of Waterfall” | Cleveland Museum of Art

Once the center print of a triptych (a composition of three prints), this design shows Ichimura Uzaemon IX playing Takeda Harunobu (1521–1573), a storied general who received the name Shingen upon taking Buddhist vows. In the story, Shingen attempts to cut off his enemy’s water supply, using a spell to imprison the dragon god who controlled it. However, a young woman named Sakura-hime gets him drunk. While he is indisposed, she and her lover release the dragon, whereupon it rains. Here, Shingen, in Buddhist robes, grips his string of prayer beads between his teeth.

In Came a Storm of Wind, Rain and Spray - and Portia | Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cave Door of Spring | Cleveland Museum of Art

These prints form a composition inspired by a story about the deity Amaterasu. She was once so offended by her brother that she retreated into a cave, leaving the earth in darkness. Several attempts to lure her out with cocks crowing, music-making, and a goddess dancing failed, but a mirror hung from a nearby tree made Amaterasu curious, bringing her to the entrance of the cave. A stone was quickly placed at the entrance to block her way back into the cave, and light was restored to the world. The scene across the prints is unified by embossed clouds enriched with gold, silver, and copper.

Bottle Cooler | Cleveland Museum of Art

The form of these cachepots is entirely typical of Saint-Cloud porcelain of about 1725. Their decoration, based upon Chinese porcelains of the so-called "famille-verte" type, is most unusual. Polychromed enamels were not often employed on Saint-Cloud porcelains, and figural scenes are very rare.

Lovers Embracing | Cleveland Museum of Art

The twining and coiling of the patterns on the carpet and large floor cushion mirror the interlaced bodies of the amorous couple. The clinging grapevine also references the wine they share from one cup. <br><br>Such a carpet was not to be walked on, so the lovers do not wear shoes. It provides a luxurious furnishing to the intimate outdoor space. Here, the floral patterns evoke the pleasures of paradise. The textile patterns have been rendered with such precision that they appear like colorful enamel work or inlaid jewels. A covered golden box at right contains aromatic betel nut treats (<em>paan</em>) that freshen the breath.

Cloud-Collar Pillow with Waves | Cleveland Museum of Art

This ceramic pillow in the form of a cloud—a design pattern variously referred to as <em>ruyi</em>, the shape of a head of an auspicious scepter—is a fine example of <em>qingbai</em> ware from Jiangxi province. It has a pure white body covered with a transparent, glassy glaze that carries a faint greenish tinge, thus giving it another name, <em>yingqing</em>, or "shadow blue." On the surface of the pillow is a carved and incised design of repeating wave patterns. The beauty of this piece lies in its elegance of form, simplicity of design, and delicacy of workmanship.

Set of Rings | Cleveland Museum of Art