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In the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), luxury items became more affordable to larger parts of the society, including women, merchants, and literati in non-official positions. Imperial patronage and a growing urban population encouraged consumption of luxury goods and local craftmanship. This ivory form of a woman with a crane illustrates the superb skills and the creative mind of the talented artisan who sought clients on a competitive market.
China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911), Kangxi reign (1662-1722)
ivory
Overall: 16.2 cm (6 3/8 in.)
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The ivory has aged to a rich amber, while traces of its original red and green paint remain on the woman’s cuffs and collar.
Severance and Greta Millikin Collection
Luwian hieroglyphs surround a figure in royal dress. The inscription, repeated in cuneiform around the rim, gives the seal owner's name: Tarkasnawa, king of Mira. The name of the ruler was previously transliterated into English as Tarkondemos and Tarkummuwa. Other inscriptions naming Tarkasnawa of Mira are known, including seals found at Hattusa (the capital of the Hittite Empire) and the Karabel rock relief carving near Izmir, Turkey. Located in west-central Anatolia, Mira was a vassal state of the Hittite Empire. This seal, originally published in the 1860s, was purchased in Izmir by its first known modern owner, A. Jovanoff. Its famous bilingual inscription provided the first clues for deciphering Luwian hieroglyphs, which were previously called Hittite hieroglyphs.
Arzawan
H: 3/8 x Diam: 1 5/8 in. (1 x 4.2 cm)
medium: silver
culture: Arzawan
reign: Tarkummuwa
Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.