Jar thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 137, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Jar

second half of 15th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Jar of porcelain, painted in underglaze blue with scenes from the drama "Xi Xiang Ji" (The West Chamber). Of bulbous form with wide mouth and broad base, unglazed underneath. Round the middle are two landscape scenes, one with a lady sitting beside a table, on which is a smoking incense-burner, approached by an attendant carrying a harp in its case, the other with a lady and attendant standing beside a large tripod; in both scenes the constellation of the Great Bear is depicted in the sky. Round the base of the jar is a border of panels containing detached flowers; on the shoulder below narrow borders of fret-pattern and scrollwork, a row of panels of cloud-scroll outline each enclosing a phoenix.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Porcelain painted in underglaze cobalt blue
Brief description
Jar, porcelain painted in underglaze blue with scenes from the drama "Xi Xiang Ji" (The West Chamber), China (Jingdezhen), Ming dynasty, second half of 15th century
Physical description
Jar of porcelain, painted in underglaze blue with scenes from the drama "Xi Xiang Ji" (The West Chamber). Of bulbous form with wide mouth and broad base, unglazed underneath. Round the middle are two landscape scenes, one with a lady sitting beside a table, on which is a smoking incense-burner, approached by an attendant carrying a harp in its case, the other with a lady and attendant standing beside a large tripod; in both scenes the constellation of the Great Bear is depicted in the sky. Round the base of the jar is a border of panels containing detached flowers; on the shoulder below narrow borders of fret-pattern and scrollwork, a row of panels of cloud-scroll outline each enclosing a phoenix.
Dimensions
  • Height: 19.1cm
  • Diameter: 16.5cm
Styles
Credit line
Given from the Bloxam Collection
Production
Label
Subjects depicted
Other number
Loan no. 212
Collection
Accession number
C.116-1928

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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