- Open today, noon to 5 pm.
- Parking & Directions
- Free Admission
Imperial Colors: Chinese Glass at the Chrysler Museum
On View
April 3, 2026 — September 13, 2026
Location
Glass Projects Space
A rainbow of boldly colored glass vessels with thick walls and deeply carved surfaces characterizes much of the glass made in China over two centuries, from 1750 to 1950. Glass often reflects and responds to cultural tastes and traditions, and Chinese glassmakers were inspired by centuries of hardstone carving and ceramic production. Artists were particularly drawn to the beauty and symbolism of materials such as jade and porcelain. In an increasingly global world, Chinese decorative arts and glass would also become coveted by foreign collectors, including Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
Imperial Colors: Chinese Glass at the Chrysler Museum explores the design, imagery, function, and allure of dozens of vessels in the Museum’s permanent collection, revealing the role glass has played within the rich visual and material culture of China and beyond. The majority of the works showcased in this exhibition have been unseen for decades. Now, thanks to renewed attention and recent research, Chinese glass at the Chrysler Museum is in the spotlight for the first time.
This exhibition is organized by the Chrysler Museum of Art and curated by Carolyn Swan Needell, PhD, Barry Curator of Glass, with the assistance of Clare Yee, William & Mary’s 2025 Woody Intern in Museum Studies.
More special exhibitions
On view right now
Through March 15, 2026
Tapio Wirkkala: Still
Exhibition Details
Through January 11, 2026
Susan Watkins and Women Artists of the Progressive Era
Exhibition Details