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Teabowl

Teabowl

  • Place of origin:

    Vietnam (found)
    China (made)

  • Date:

    ca. 1725 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Porcelain, wheel thrown, painted with underglaze cobalt blue designs, glazed, fired

  • Museum number:

    FE.24:1-2007

  • Gallery location:

    World Ceramics, room 145, case 7/8

  • Download image

This object is part of a matching cup and saucer set. It was mass produced in the city of Jingdezhen, famous for porcelain production. This is one of several hundred identical cups and saucers salvaged from a ship wreck, dating to approximately 1725.

The wreck was discovered off the Southern coast of Vietnam in 1998 near Ca Mau and is now commonly referred to as the Ca Mau wreck. The ship was loaded with Chinese porcelain of various designs for export to South Asia and Europe.

It is likely that these cups and saucers were bound for use in households in Europe. Chinese porcelain was in great demand in Europe during the 18th century.

Physical description

Painted in underglaze cobalt blue with a design of a miltary figure, a lady and an official near a pavillion.

Place of Origin

Vietnam (found)
China (made)

Date

ca. 1725 (made)

Artist/maker

unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Porcelain, wheel thrown, painted with underglaze cobalt blue designs, glazed, fired

Dimensions

Diameter: 7 cm

Object history note

This object was salvaged from the wreck of a trade ship, probably a Chinese junk dating to approximately 1725. This date corresponds to the reign of the Yongzheng emperor (1723-1735) of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). The wreck was discovered off the Southern coast of Vietnam in 1998 near Ca Mau. The wreck is now commonly referred to as the Ca Mau wreck. By 1999 a total of 51,500 pieces had been recovered form the wreck.

It was loaded with Chinese porcelain of various designs for export to South Asia and Europe. This object is one of a group of 182 pieces of porcelain acquired by the V&A from this wreck. These objects were sold through Sotheby's, Amsterdam at sale AM0967 'Made in Imperial China: 76,000 pieces of export porcelain from the Ca Mau shipwreck, Circa 1725' which took place in 2007.

Historical significance: This object provides useful information about trade, trade routes, design and markets for Chinese ceramics during the 18th century.

Descriptive line

Blue and white porcelain tea bowl

Materials

Glaze; Ceramic; Cobalt

Techniques

Painted; Glazed; Fired

Subjects depicted

Figures; Flag pole

Categories

Ceramics

Production Type

Mass produced

Collection code

EAS

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Qr_O173028
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