Dish
ca. 1700 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This dish is one of four with similar decoration. They all feature painted figures from the popular Chinese novel 'Water Margin', a story about brave and well-intentioned bandits who take from the rich to give to the poor.
A distinct feature of the decoration is the absence of any complementary pattern in the background, as if the figures appear on a blank stage without a backdrop. A mark on the base reads 'Studio to examine one's mind'. This indicates that the dishes were specially commissioned by a man of letters.
A distinct feature of the decoration is the absence of any complementary pattern in the background, as if the figures appear on a blank stage without a backdrop. A mark on the base reads 'Studio to examine one's mind'. This indicates that the dishes were specially commissioned by a man of letters.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Porcelain painted in enamel colours |
Brief description | Cer, China, Qing, f.verte |
Physical description | Painted with 3 men, the man on the left wearing green trousers. |
Dimensions |
|
Style | |
Marks and inscriptions | Underglaze blue mark 'wen xin zhai' on base |
Credit line | Salting bequest |
Object history | Bequeathed by Mr. George Salting, accessioned in 1910. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
Subject depicted | |
Summary | This dish is one of four with similar decoration. They all feature painted figures from the popular Chinese novel 'Water Margin', a story about brave and well-intentioned bandits who take from the rich to give to the poor. A distinct feature of the decoration is the absence of any complementary pattern in the background, as if the figures appear on a blank stage without a backdrop. A mark on the base reads 'Studio to examine one's mind'. This indicates that the dishes were specially commissioned by a man of letters. |
Collection | |
Accession number | C.1198-1910 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
Record created | September 16, 2005 |
Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest