A slightly oval bowl, thin-walled, incised and engraved channel decoration, crenellated rim, pale green nephrite jade, possibly India

A bowl of slightly oval form, with thin walls and standing on a short foot with rim. Fashioned in pale green nephrite jade, it is has been carved and engraved with numerous channels and converging lines, with those on the interior surface of the bowl being deeper than those on the exterior. The rim of the bowl is decorated with vertical channels which end at the rim with a somewhat crenellated appearance. The foot has been carved with two concentric rows of petal-like motifs that surround a circular panel with hatched line decoration. There is damage to the rim and there are also some cracks to the body, most of which appear to be of natural origin.

This bowl was formerly in the India Museum in London and it was then transferred to the South Kensington Museum (later renamed The Victoria & Albert Museum) in 1879. 1880 Register Entry: [Room 8. Case .] '01,371. BOWL. Carved jade.' (No slip number given.)

This bowl has been fashioned from a single piece of nephrite jade, which is a hard and durable material that requires patience and skill to work. Although it is a hard material, when it has been worked to give fine edges or thicknesses, it can be prone to damage by sharp impacts or significant and rapid changes in temperature. The place of manufacture is uncertain, though it may be India. The piece was originally acquired by the India Museum in London and was transferred to the South Kensington Museum (later renamed The Victoria & Albert Museum) in 1879.

01371(IS)