Description
one side decorated with a Jesuit monastery amongst pine trees, the other side with cranes, some in flight and some on the ground, against a landscape of tall towers, the interior with gilt border with alternating shell finials
Dimensions
31cm diam
Footnote
Provenance: A private Scottish collection
Note:
The first Jesuit mission reached China in 1582, led among others by the Italian Matteo Ricci. The Jesuits introduced Western notions of science, mathematics, astronomy, and visual arts to the Chinese. Thanks to their extensive knowledge and scholarship, they slowly became amongst the most trusted and valued advisors of the emperor. Between the16th and 17th centuries the Jesuit mission played a significant role in scientific and philosophical dialogue with Chinese scholars, thus contributing to the inter-cultural exchange between two continents