{"id":4866,"date":"2026-04-18T21:33:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T18:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bricsmagazine.com\/en\/?p=4866"},"modified":"2026-09-06T21:47:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T18:47:20","slug":"great-chinese-curiosities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bricsmagazine.com\/en\/soft-power\/art\/great-chinese-curiosities\/","title":{"rendered":"Great Chinese Curiosities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It was Russia that became the first European country with which China concluded a treaty: in 1689, the Treaty of Nerchinsk was signed between the Qing Empire and the Tsardom of Muscovy, establishing borders between the two states and permitting mutual trade. A few years later, in the 18th century, royal caravans were already traveling from St. Petersburg to Beijing on a regular basis: in exchange for furs, glass beads, rhubarb, broadcloth, and other goods, they brought back from the Middle Kingdom fabrics and embroidery, tea, silver, silver filigree items, carved bone and wood, painted enamels, lacquerware, and ceramics. The Russian aristocracy, which had become increasingly Europeanized under Peter I, could not help but fall under the spell of «Chinese curiosities,» much like its European counterparts. This fascination led to the emergence of magnificent collections of Chinese decorative and applied arts in Russia. The largest, comprising several tens of thousands of items, is now housed in the Hermitage, which two years ago opened several new halls for its permanent exhibition of Chinese art. The second most significant collection belongs to the State Museum of Oriental Art in Moscow. In addition, impressive examples of Chinese art can be found in the State Historical Museum (Moscow), the Russian Museum of Ethnography (St. Petersburg), the Moscow Kremlin Museums, and the Yekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mechanical Curiosities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first official embassy to the Celestial Empire was actually organized by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who wished to establish direct overland trade with China without the intermediation of European East India companies. However, that mission failed due to cultural differences. The Chinese court etiquette of the time required the ambassador to crawl three times toward the Emperor’s throne while pressing his forehead to the floor, which was unacceptable for a Russian diplomat. Success was achieved only by the mission sent by Tsarevna Sophia, who served as regent for her younger brothers Ivan and Peter. The result of that diplomatic expedition was the Treaty of Nerchinsk in 1689. While the embassy was returning to Moscow, power in the capital changed hands\u2014Peter became the sole ruler. The young tsar was greatly impressed by the report of the envoy Fyodor Golovin, who knew Latin and English. At his command, ties between Russia and China began to strengthen even further, and trade took on a regular character. In 1719, to clarify commercial matters, Peter sent a new mission to his eastern neighbor, headed by the extraordinary envoy Lev Izmailov. The tsar personally composed an accompanying letter to the Kangxi Emperor, signing it «Your Majesty’s good friend Peter.» According to the tsar’s instructions, the embassy was also tasked with acquiring various household items in China.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Russian ambassadors in China. Illustration from the magazine «Niva», 19th century.
\u00a9 Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

However, Peter’s genuine interest in collecting flared up a little later \u2013 during the Grand Embassy of 1697\u20131698. During this unique royal tour of European countries, Peter, who traveled incognito, not only mastered shipbuilding but also became acquainted with famous foreign collections, antiquities and natural history cabinets, Kunstkammers, and botanical gardens. Of course, Peter was also drawn to the Oriental collections of Leiden, Oxford, and Dresden. Importantly, Peter perceived collections not merely as an entertaining assortment of rarities, but as a display of scientific material, a museum of knowledge. Collecting would become one of Peter’s most important pursuits and would lay the foundation for the Kunstkamera, Russia’s first public museum.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Chinese halls at the Museum of the East in Moscow.
\u00a9 State Museum of Oriental Art<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The Russian Kunstkamera is believed to have been one of the first European museums to feature, for example, Chinese enamel \u2014 it adorns a round («moon») flask with a lid from Peter’s personal collection, which entered the museum after his death in 1725. Another remarkable item in the museum’s collection also came from the tsar’s personal collection \u2014 the mechanical toy «Celestial Boat.» It belongs to the category of «mechanical curiosities,» as they were called at the time, which became fashionable during Peter the Great’s era. They consisted of intricate figures with clockwork mechanisms that allowed the objects to move, gesture, and even play music. Today, these 18th-century Chinese mechanical toys adorn the collections of the Hermitage and the Kunstkamera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The «Celestial Boat» (or the «Chinese Ship,» as the object is referred to in the inventories) has a fascinating history. It was brought to Russia by the embassy of Lev Izmailov. Whether it was a gift from Emperor Kangxi or purchased is not known for certain. Emperor Kangxi took an interest in all kinds of European innovations, including clockwork and secret mechanisms. Thus, a workshop producing astonishing mechanical objects emerged at his court. Unfortunately, subsequent rulers of the Middle Kingdom showed no interest in developing this field, and the workshop gradually ceased its activities.
The Kunstkamera houses three ship models and a figure of a Chinese woman on a phoenix, which were recently matched with surviving watercolor sketches, inventories, other documents, and works from the Hermitage collection. Apparently, these formed a single collection delivered by Izmailov to Peter’s court. For the 350th anniversary of Peter the Great, three mechanical toys were restored at the Hermitage. For a long time, it was believed that after the fire of 1747, no collections dating back to Peter’s era remained in the Kunstkamera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The very form of the «Heavenly Boat» is intriguing. As is well known, the Chinese do not rank among the top 20 most celebrated seafarers in history. But there is a legend that the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shi Huang\u2014the «gatherer of the Chinese lands» and founder of the Qin dynasty, who ordered the construction of the Great Wall to begin in the 3rd century BC\u2014dreamed of immortality. And to attain «boundless longevity,» he sent out expeditions in search of islands inhabited by celestial beings who commanded the elements and voyaged on wondrous ships. Perhaps it is precisely such «Heavenly Boats» that are kept in the Kunstkamera. Note that the musician figurines are carved from ivory, while the patron deity is made of amber. An internal mechanism allowed both the little ship and the characters to move.<\/p>\n\n\n

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«Devil’s Ball», 19th century. From the collection of the Museum of the East.
\u00a9 State Museum of the East<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Devil Balls<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chinese ivory pieces were made to decorate palace interiors and for sale in Europe. It is known that the Chinese began working with ivory, as well as rhinoceros horn, as early as the Neolithic era. From the 2nd millennium BC, artistically decorated objects began to be created. In the 16th\u201317th centuries, this field of decorative art flourished. Figures of deities, saints, mythological and literary heroes were carved from elephant tusks, and all sorts of items were made: dagger and umbrella handles, fan elements, cases, and snuffboxes. Carvers of the Canton school, who used bleaching and emphasized decorative richness, even invented a technique for weaving bone threads. The ivory itself was split into threads, from which baskets and lampshades were woven. Examples of such baskets are kept in the Pavlovsk Museum.
But the most interesting objects are the unique balls-within-balls, or puzzle balls. They also appeared in Canton workshops, apparently in the 18th century. Inside the outer sphere there are several other freely rotating balls, each with its own decoration. The intricate pattern of the balls’ openwork carving is mesmerizing, paralleling the growing intrigue of the question: how is this even possible?! The obscurity of the technique led to these Chinese curiosities being called «devil’s balls.» The master works from the inner sphere to the outer one. Like an arthroscopic surgeon, he uses only a few holes and, by turning the balls, carves ornaments, dragons, and narrative compositions on them. The emergence and development of the puzzle ball technique was facilitated by the appearance of the European lathe in China. The imperial collection also contained European multi-layered objects made using a lathe. For example, wooden cups or a 17th-century German ivory box crowned with a carved ball. Perhaps they inspired the idea of puzzle balls. However, the masters of China achieved incredible perfection, and after some time the lathes were abandoned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Moscow, you can admire the talent of Chinese carvers at the Museum of the East, whose Chinese collection comprises 20,000 items. Interestingly, Peter I, who was known to be fond of various crafts, attempted to recreate Chinese balls-within-balls. Woodturning brought Peter great joy, and he sometimes sent his creations as diplomatic gifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Crab-shaped box on a leaf-shaped tray, 1740s\u20131750s. From the Hermitage collection. \u00a9 The State Hermitage Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Mirror from Catherine II’s toilet set, 1740s\u20131750s. From the Hermitage collection. \u00a9 The State Hermitage Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chinese Filigree<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lace-like silver pieces are no less astonishing in their craftsmanship than «devil’s spheres» or «mechanical curiosities.» The essence of the filigree technique lies in drawing metal into the finest wire, which may consist of several strands. Intricate patterns are then created and twisted from this wire. They can be freestanding or soldered onto a background. The word itself comes from the Latin filium \u2013 thread, and granum \u2013 grain. Its Russian equivalent, «skan,» derives from the words meaning «to twist» or «to twine.» Filigree is often accompanied by enamel and granulation (tiny metal beads). Filigree first appeared in the ancient world; the Russian variation flourished in the Middle Ages, while the works of Chinese masters, who also worked beyond the borders of the Middle Kingdom, represent the pinnacle of jewelry complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the masterpieces of Chinese filigree is the toilet set of Catherine II from the 1740s\u20131750s, consisting of 32 (!) items of «filigree work.» The centerpiece of this unique ensemble is a mirror painted with an image of pheasants. The filigree frame of the mirror is adorned with floral motifs and bird figurines, and its decoration incorporates threads featuring peacock feather elements. Equally astonishing are the cosmetic boxes crafted in the form of crabs resting on leaves.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Brush stand, 18th century. From the collection of the Museum of the East.
\u00a9 State Museum of Oriental Art<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Brush Stands. Scholar’s Study<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

China is probably the only country that was governed not by the aristocracy or the army, but by scholars. A remarkable system developed here: to obtain a position, one had to pass an examination. The exams were extremely rigorous, with candidates spending nine days locked away. But the result was worth it: the higher the grade, the more significant the post. Scholarship implied, in addition to knowledge itself, mastery of calligraphy. And the scholar’s study became not only an organized workspace, but also a special intellectual and aesthetic environment. It necessarily contained an inkstone, paper, paperweights, brushes, screens for wiping excess ink off the brushes, and brush rests. Moreover, there were different rests for dry and wet brushes. All objects had to be exquisite. They could be made of crystal, jade, carnelian, chalcedony, agate, porcelain, or bamboo. Contemplating these objects and the natural beauty of their materials was akin to contemplating nature, which the Chinese perceived with great reverence. Of course, both the materials and the decoration of the objects carry symbolic meaning. For example, bamboo signifies endurance and inflexibility. The material world of the scholar’s study was also designed to have an effect that allowed the calligrapher’s hand to relax. This was facilitated by the tactile sensations evoked by touching the smooth surfaces of various shapes.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u00a9 State Museum of Oriental Art<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Snuff Bottles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Scenes depicting the lives of scholars appear in the decoration of snuff bottles: a student preparing for his examinations falling in love with a minister’s daughter, or a scholar searching for a branch of wild plum. Measuring 5\u20138 cm in size, these bottles were crafted from stone, porcelain, ivory, and glass. For convenient use of the snuff mixture\u2014which included medicinal ingredients such as camphor, mint, and jasmine\u2014a tiny spoon was attached to the stopper. Sometimes the bottles themselves were fashioned into miniature sculptures. Glass bottles featuring paintings on their inner walls are a particular delight for collectors. Special curved brushes were used to create this exquisite miniature art. The spread of snuff in China is linked to European influence during the reign of Emperor Kangxi; however, Chinese snuff containers took on a distinct form, aligning with the traditional design of small flasks used for powders and other medicines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Snuff bottle, 18th century. From the Hermitage collection. \u00a9 The State Hermitage Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Snuff bottle, 18th century. From the Hermitage collection. \u00a9 The State Hermitage Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cricket Houses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Among the objects in a scholar’s study, with which an intellectual calligrapher exercised his hand, there were also winter houses for crickets. Cricket fights were a popular pastime in China. For the winter, the competition participants were placed in special little houses. They were made in a very interesting way: gourds were grown inside clay molds with carved compositions that left their imprint on the gourd’s surface, and it was impossible to know in advance exactly what the pattern would be. Then the clay «clothing» was removed, the pulp was scooped out, the gourd was dried, and it was finished off with an ivory lid.<\/p>\n\n\n

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A Little House for a Grasshopper, 20th century. From the collection of the Museum of the East.
\u00a9 State Museum of Oriental Art<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Cricket fights are still widespread today. The best insects are considered to be those from Shandong Province; it was from here that they were brought to the imperial court. The price of a cricket ranges from 2 to 50 dollars. In 2010, 63 million dollars were spent on bets in cricket fights. A cricket fight begins when one male enters territory that his rival considers his own. The weaker contender is not at risk of death, but during the fight the opponent may damage his antennae, which will cause him to lose his attractiveness, leaving the loser doomed to loneliness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the houses for fighting crickets, cages were also made for singing crickets. They were placed next to the pillow so that one could enjoy the insects’ song at night. The little cages were crafted from all sorts of materials. And at the emperor’s court there were special attendants who cared for the insects.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Paper-cut depicting a phoenix and a peony, 1955. From the collection of the Museum of the East.
\u00a9 State Museum of the East<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Jianzhi Paper Lace<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The art of paper cutting has existed in China for about 1500 years. Remarkably, this form of folk art, which spread throughout the Middle Kingdom, is still practiced today. The subjects of the compositions are infinitely varied. The cutouts themselves are so delicate that at first they seem like simple drawings on paper, until you realize they could be blown away. The cutouts can be polychrome or monochrome. Jianzhi were created for weddings, holidays, and all kinds of events. Like all Chinese art, jianzhi are filled with auspicious symbols. Today, designers turn to paper cutting, artists use it in installations, and albums featuring jianzhi are sold to tourists.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Interiors of Catherine II’s Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum.
\u00a9 Mistervlad \/ Shutterstock \/ FOTODOM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Chinoiserie<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The virtuoso craftsmanship of the Chinese amazed Westerners from the moment the works of artists from the Middle Kingdom first began to reach Europe. In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, these were isolated items \u2013 recall Marco Polo’s journey to China in the 13th century. Contacts between the West and the East took on an entirely different scale in the Modern Era, during the period of the East India companies’ operations. Entire flotillas delivered tea, silks, snow-white porcelain, and other wonders of China to Europe. Europeans were seized by a passion for everything Eastern, which organically flourished within the context of the Baroque and Rococo. Lacquer and porcelain cabinets appeared in the palaces of the European aristocracy (we had such rooms in Peterhof and Oranienbaum). Fortunes were spent on Oriental porcelain and other decorative art objects. Naturally, Eastern items would be imitated. Figurines of Chinese people were produced at all the newly established Western porcelain manufactories: in Saxony and France, Italy and Russia. Images of the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom adorned Lyon silks and English silver punch bowls, harpsichords and fans, needle cases and tapestries. This phenomenon was given the name «chinoiserie,» from the French word chinois \u2013 «Chinese.» Undoubtedly, knowledge of Eastern culture was still quite superficial at that time. The genuine study of another civilization would begin later. But the 18th century gave rise to the notion of a beautiful, almost unattainable Eastern world where rulers are wise and society is organized far better.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the art of the Middle Kingdom, two tendencies are combined in an astonishing way. The grandeur of the Great Wall of China, the scale of the Terracotta Army, and the endlessness of the Forbidden City coexist with the most painstaking jewelry-like work on miniatures. The uniqueness of the Chinese cultural tradition lies precisely in the fact that it never divided art into «high» (painting, sculpture, architecture) and «low,» artisanal, a category to which the West traditionally assigned decorative and applied arts. Such an absence of hierarchy naturally testifies to a special worldview characteristic of Chinese civilization. And its philosophy can and should be explored through the beauty and virtuosity of everyday household objects.<\/p>\n

We tell you about 7 wonders of Chinese decorative and applied art, which can also be seen in Russian museums.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":4915,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,27],"tags":[1067],"country":[71,179],"authors":[950],"class_list":["post-4866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art","category-soft-power","tag-1067","country-china","country-russia","authors-apel"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGreat Chinese Curiosities - BRICS Business Magazine - EN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bricsmagazine.com\/en\/soft-power\/art\/great-chinese-curiosities\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ru_RU\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Great Chinese Curiosities - BRICS Business Magazine - EN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In the art of the Middle Kingdom, two tendencies are combined in an astonishing way. The grandeur of the Great Wall of China, the scale of the Terracotta Army, and the endlessness of the Forbidden City coexist with the most painstaking jewelry-like work on miniatures. The uniqueness of the Chinese cultural tradition lies precisely in the fact that it never divided art into "high" (painting, sculpture, architecture) and "low," artisanal, a category to which the West traditionally assigned decorative and applied arts. Such an absence of hierarchy naturally testifies to a special worldview characteristic of Chinese civilization. And its philosophy can and should be explored through the beauty and virtuosity of everyday household objects. 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