Bowl thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Bowl

18th century (made)
Place of origin
China (made)

This bowl has probably been carved in China in the Mughal style. It has been fashioned from a single piece of nephrite jade which is a hard and durable material that requires skill and patience to work successfully, especially when cavities have to be excavated to form vessels such as this. It would have been made for a person of status.


Object details

Categories
Food Vessels & Tableware
Gemstones
Hardstone
Object type
Bowl
Materials and techniques
Nephrite jade, fashioned, pierced, carved and polished using abrasives, with much of the process requiring turning on a bow-driven lathe.
Nephrite
Brief description
A round, two-handled bowl, off-white nephrite jade, Chinese, 18th century, Mughal ?
Physical description
A deep, round bowl with two opposing pierced and carved handles in the form of curled leaf fronds and standing on a short, slightly flared, recessed foot with rim. Fashioned in off-white nephrite jade with a smooth finish and a light polish. There are a few cracks extending from the rim as well as a small chip with an associated, small crack.
Dimensions
  • CIR c.1239 1926 length: 192.0mm (+/- 1.0) (Note: Overall length of the bowl, including the handles)
  • CIR c.1239 1926 diameter: 147.0 to 149.0mm (Note: External diameter of the bowl only)
  • CIR c.1239 1926 height: 68.8 to 70.2mm
  • CIR c.1239 1926 depth: 62.2mm (Note: Depth from the rim, at the centre)
  • CIR c.1239 1926 thickness: 1.8 to 2.8mm (Note: Thickness at the rim)
  • CIR c.1239 1926 diameter: 63.5 to 64.9mm (Note: External diameter of the foot)
  • CIR c.1239 1926 depth: 4.0mm (Note: Depth of the foot recess, at the centre)
Dimensions vary with orientation
Style
Qing
Summary
This bowl has probably been carved in China in the Mughal style. It has been fashioned from a single piece of nephrite jade which is a hard and durable material that requires skill and patience to work successfully, especially when cavities have to be excavated to form vessels such as this. It would have been made for a person of status.
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
CIRC.1239-1926

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O434340/bowl/
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