18TH/19TH CENTURY

Buddhism flourished during the Qing dynasty, and was encouraged by the devotion of the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors and their successors. As a result of its popularity, the production of Buddhist statuary, ritual objects, vessels and other implements became widespread, and a variety of materials was employed in their manufacture. See a much smaller (13.6 cm.), white jade seated Buddha, dated to the mid-Qing dynasty, in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated by Yang Boda in Chinese Jades Throughout the Ages, Hong Kong, 1997, no. 103.