Set of ritual vessels, dated 1785. Qing dynasty, reign of the Qianlong emperor (1736-1795). Porcelain, China; Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. The form of each vessel is based on a metal prototype from the Bronze Age : the existence of these vessels reveals the Qianlong emperor's interest in continuing the rites of ancestor worship, which was so important to the Chinese, and his fascination with Chinese antiquities.