Green Glass Cuspidor

As living utensils in the imperial palace, cuspidors were mostly made of porcelain, brass or enamel, and glass pieces were very rare.

A glass masterpiece dating back to the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, this green glass cuspidor features a trumpet-shaped mouth, a plump belly and a flat bottom. Its body is decorated with hexagonal patterns that are believed to be ground manually. The cuspidor measures 8.7 centimeters tall and 7.7 centimeters in mouth diameter, the size of an apple, and looks exquisite and light.

Glass is common today, but in the past it was rare and expensive. The history of glassmaking in China can be traced back to 2,500 years ago, and glass was once called "liuli" or "liaoqi" in Chinese.

After restrictions on maritime trade were lifted in the Qing Dynasty, European glassware entered China, and Westerners who served the emperor also brought glassmaking technology into the royal court. Emperor Kangxi set up a glass factory under the Imperial Workshop in the Hall of Mental Cultivation to produce various glass products for the palace. From then on, glass began to be formally called "boli" in Chinese.

Initially, the ancient Chinese regarded glassware as artificial jade and admired opaque glassware. In contrast, Europeans preferred crystal-like transparent glass. This preference influenced glassware production in the Qing royal court. The glass factory in the Qing imperial palace was committed to producing high-transparency glassware that fused Chinese and Western techniques and aesthetics. This green glass cuspidor is representative of that trend.

綠色玻璃渣斗

渣斗是宮中生活用品，以瓷制、銅制和琺瑯制居多，玻璃制的渣斗十分少見。這件綠色玻璃渣斗，喇叭狀開口，鼓腹，平底，通體布滿六邊形花紋，據說是磨制出的圖案。高僅有8.7厘米，口徑7.7厘米，大小與蘋果相當，十分輕盈，是中國乾隆朝的玻璃精品。

如今，玻璃很是常見，歷史上卻曾經珍稀昂貴。中國的玻璃歷史可以追溯到2500年前，曾被稱為“琉璃”“料器”。清初開海禁，歐洲玻璃制品進入中國，為皇帝服務的西洋人也把玻璃制作工藝帶入宮廷。康熙皇帝專門設立玻璃廠，隸屬于養心殿造辦處，為宮中生產各種玻璃制品，“玻璃”之稱也正式確立。

古代中國最初將玻璃器視為人造玉石，推崇不透明的玻璃器。歐洲則喜好像水晶一樣的透明玻璃，這一喜好影響了后來清宮玻璃器的制作。以這件綠色渣斗為代表，清宮玻璃廠生產的高透明度玻璃器，正是中西方技藝與審美相互融合的產物。