Audio:
Bottle vase, the “Morgan Ruby”
China, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662–1722)
Purchased by Pierpont Morgan, 1907.
Transcription:
Jennifer Tonkovich, Eugene and Clare Thaw Curator of Drawings and Prints
Pierpont Morgan’s taste encompassed global art. The Morgan family brownstone was filled with art objects from China, Japan, southeast Asia, and the Islamic world. These were displayed alongside objects from western Europe and America. Morgan also acquired significant collections of non-Western art for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he served as President from 1904 until 1913. He kept a few examples of Chinese vessels for his personal collection, including this bottle-shaped vase with its Langyao, or copper-red, glaze, known as the Morgan Ruby.