Bird cage; China, Qing dynasty, late 19th - early 20th century.

Bird cage; China, Qing dynasty, late 19th - early 20th century.
Lacquered bamboo and bronze suspension.
Measurements: 88 x 53 cm.
The cage has a system that allows to fold it. Under the Qing, inherited art forms flourished and innovations occurred at many levels and in many types. High levels of literacy, a successful publishing industry, thriving cities and a Confucian emphasis on cultivation nurtured a lively and creative set of cultural fields. During this period, the European tendency to imitate Chinese artistic traditions, known as chinoiserie, also gained great popularity in Europe due to increased trade with China and the broader current of Orientalism.