Xvii Century Venetian Glass As A Gift For The Chinese Emperor

In 1720, a delegation sent to Beijing by Pope Clemente XI brought several gifts to the Emperor of China. These objects were selected with care following the suggestions of some Italian missionaries living in China. The majority of them were made of Venetian glass. Their description suggests that many of these objects were similar to those bought by King Frederick IV of Denmark in 1708-1709 which are preserved at the Rosenberg Castle. Among these, there were some "scratched" objects with fine strips, and some cylindrical vessels containing seven or more tall and narrow cylindrical carafes. Many objects were made of filigree glass in white and other colours.