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Crystal utensils keep the scorching heat away

chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2017-06-20 11:12

A crystal flower basket with crystal chain from Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). [Photo/Official Weibo account of the Palace Museum]

Crystal was also called "water jade", "thousand-year ice" in ancient times, as it is pure as water and clear as ice. People at that time preferred to use crystal items, such as crystal glass and curtain made of crystal beads. In the scorching summer, crystal vessels are more popular, as they keep things cooler. Let's take a look at some crystal utensils from the Palace Museum's collections.

A crystal-made Qing Dynasty wine vessel in the ancient style. [Photo/Official Weibo account of the Palace Museum]

A crystal wine vessel decorated with a rooster from Qing Dynasty. [Photo/Official Weibo account of the Palace Museum]

A crystal double-fish shaped flower receptacle from Qing Dynasty. [Photo/Official Weibo account of the Palace Museum]

A crystal ruyi (an ornament believed to bring good luck) from Qing Dynasty resembles a lucid ganoderma. [Photo/Official Weibo account of the Palace Museum]

A crystal-carved longevity god surrounded by deer and crane patterns symbolizing auspiciousness from Qing Dynasty. [Photo/Official Weibo account of the Palace Museum]

A crystal bottle with a lid and movable rings from Qing Dynasty, decorated with kuilong (a mythological animal resembling dragon) patterns on its surface. [Photo/Official Weibo account of the Palace Museum]

A crystal wild duck-shaped inkstone kettle from Qing Dynasty. [Photo/Official Weibo account of the Palace Museum]

A crystal ball from Qing Dynasty [Photo/Official Weibo account of the Palace Museum]