Jar
1736-1795 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Chinese emperors of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) performed rituals every year at the Altars of Heaven, Earth, the Sun and the Moon. The rituals were considered essential for the well-being of the empire. Porcelains of different colours were placed at different altars. Dark blue was used for the Altar of Heaven, yellow for Earth, red for the Sun and light blue ( 'moon white') for the Moon. While performing the ritual the emperor would have worn a sacrificial robe of a matching colour.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Porcelain with iron-red glaze |
| Brief description | Jar with red glaze, China, China, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (1736-95) |
| Physical description | Ritual vessel 'zun' made of porcelain and covered with a coral-red glaze. It bears the mark of the Qianlong period. The bulbous body has two small handles in the shape of animal heads. The base is also red-glazed. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | 大清乾隆年製 (On base)
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| Credit line | Salting Bequest |
| Object history | Bequeathed by Mr. George Salting, accessioned in 1910. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Historical context | Altar vessel made for the Temple of the Sun in Beijing |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Chinese emperors of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) performed rituals every year at the Altars of Heaven, Earth, the Sun and the Moon. The rituals were considered essential for the well-being of the empire. Porcelains of different colours were placed at different altars. Dark blue was used for the Altar of Heaven, yellow for Earth, red for the Sun and light blue ( 'moon white') for the Moon. While performing the ritual the emperor would have worn a sacrificial robe of a matching colour. |
| Bibliographic reference | Rose Kerr, Chinese Ceramics, Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty 1644-1911, V & A, 1998, No. 9
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.483-1910 |
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| Record created | January 23, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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