Pleasure Boat

This finely detailed pleasure boat is carved in perfect unison with its rosewood base, which captures the water flowers and aquatic birds and crustaceans of the lotus pond on which the craft is meant to sail. The great pleasure gardens of the Qing dynasty, such as the Summer Palace in Beijing, included extensive planted water courses that accommodated the boating parties of the aristocracy. This exquisite carving shows a group of boaters complete with potted plants and wicker picnic hampers. With its aristocratic theme, flawless white nephrite, and superb craftsmanship, it epitomizes the decorative tastes of the 1700s. The inscription carved along the front of the boat, Qianlong yuwan (For the amusement of the emperor Qianlong), indicates that the boat was created in an imperial workshop.