China through the Magnifying Glass: Masterpieces in Miniature and Detail

The Cleveland Museum of Art (11 December–26 February 2023) explores the importance of the miniature in Chinese art history and culture. Bringing together more than 80 small-scale masterpieces, the show considers the varied functions of these objects, whether as toys, accessories, religious emblems or decorative pieces. Highlights include a boxwood miniature from the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) depicting one of the eight immortals in the Daoist pantheon, who rides a raft on green waves made from ivory, and a small white jade thumb ring, also from the Qing Dynasty, with a dragon and mouse carved in relief. Elsewhere, a miniature of a kneeling boy from the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) exemplifies the precise detail achieved by ivory artists of the era. Find out more on Cleveland’s website.

Preview below | View Apollo’s Art Diary here

Thumb ring (1600s), China. Cleveland Museum of Art

Kneeling boy (1500s), China. Cleveland Museum of Art