During the Qing dynasty, from the 17th century onwards, China saw significant developments in the production of glassware, which was based on production techniques learned from Western glassware. However, unlike Western glassware, which valued transparency, Chinese glassware focused more on bringing out glossy colors and achieving texture resembling jade.

This is a set of candlesticks. A metal stick, into which the bottom of a candle is stuck, serves as the core, and parts made of colored glass are stacked. Those parts are in various colors such as yellow, blue, and turquoise, and feature carved plant patterns. If you look closely, you will find that gold has been applied to the lines of these patterns, but the pigment has come off in places. An elaborate part is included in the middle section of each of these candlesticks: it features a Chinese character meaning “longevity” in relief and in red on a white ground. Sections near the bases of these candlesticks have inscriptions that read “Created during the Qianlong era,” which attests that this set was made in the 18th century, during the reign of Qianlong, the sixth emperor of the Qing dynasty. It is said that Chinese glassware was at its zenith during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, and this set of candlesticks in vivid colors is an example of prominent works from that time.