A LATE QING DYNASTY CHINESE CRYSTAL BALL. With a plain body carved from a transparent stone, supported on a carved wood stand. 9cm diameter. (2) The crystal ball, traditionally associated with magic and clairvoyance, also bears strong connections to Chinese Imperial patronage and collecting practices. The world’s third largest crystal ball, now in the collection of Canada’s Penn Museum, is thought to have been commissioned by the Emperor Dowager Cixi (1835 – 1908).

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