Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 137, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Ink Stand

1400-1450 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Ink and water pot of porcelain, decorated with underglaze cobalt blue. Round vessel in drum form, with two raised ribs and four unglazed animal masks round the outside. In the top surface are six round holes, round the edge. Five of them lead to small, circular cavity containers for solid ink sticks. The sixth lets right through into the hollow interior, which would have been filled with water; the owner would have dipped his brush in here to moisten it, and then mixed solid ink form one of the other five containers. On the flat top of the vessel is a well-painted scene of a scholar on horseback in a windy spring landscape, accompanied by his servant. Round the sides at top and bottom, are two rows of blue dots within parallel lines, simulated nailheads on a drum. In the central band is a lotus scroll. The flat base, and the low, square footring, are unglazed. On the base are two paper stickers recording the vessel's history of the exhibition in England: "Oriental Ceramic Society Exhibition Ming Blue & White 1946 no. 52" and "Oriental Ceramic Society 1954 exhibition 121".


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Porcelain painted in underglaze cobalt blue
Brief description
Ink stand, porcelain painted in underglaze cobalt blue; China, Ming dynasty, early 15th century
Physical description
Ink and water pot of porcelain, decorated with underglaze cobalt blue. Round vessel in drum form, with two raised ribs and four unglazed animal masks round the outside. In the top surface are six round holes, round the edge. Five of them lead to small, circular cavity containers for solid ink sticks. The sixth lets right through into the hollow interior, which would have been filled with water; the owner would have dipped his brush in here to moisten it, and then mixed solid ink form one of the other five containers. On the flat top of the vessel is a well-painted scene of a scholar on horseback in a windy spring landscape, accompanied by his servant. Round the sides at top and bottom, are two rows of blue dots within parallel lines, simulated nailheads on a drum. In the central band is a lotus scroll. The flat base, and the low, square footring, are unglazed. On the base are two paper stickers recording the vessel's history of the exhibition in England: "Oriental Ceramic Society Exhibition Ming Blue & White 1946 no. 52" and "Oriental Ceramic Society 1954 exhibition 121".
Dimensions
  • Height: 6.9cm
  • Diameter: 16cm
Styles
Production
label
Subjects depicted
Other number
Loan Garner no. 61 - Previous loan number
Collection
Accession number
FE.22-1983

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

Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest