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Ginger jar
Unknown - Enlarge image
Ginger jar
- Place of origin:
Jingdezhen, China (made)
- Date:
1662-1722 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Unknown (production)
- Materials and Techniques:
Porcelain, decorated in underglaze cobalt blue
- Museum number:
C.836&A-1910
- Gallery location:
In Storage
Object Type
Vessels of this shape are called 'ginger jars' in the West, because they were often imported containing ginger. In China they were used to hold a variety of substances or were simply ornamental objects.
Time
In China porcelain with cobalt blue designs painted under the glaze first became popular during the 14th century. Motifs on blue and white porcelain included figurative scenes from well-known novels and legends. During the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) the potters at the Jingdezhen kilns in south China created many different types of porcelain adorned with a large variety of decoration, including rich monochrome glazes and cobalt blue decoration. The Qing dynasty reign mark of Kangxi (1662-1722) can be seen on the base of this jar. Porcelains of the Kangxi period are renowned for their clear colour and painterly decoration, as exemplified here. During this period medium-sized jars and bowls were often decorated with garden scenes depicting scholars, women and children at leisure.
Materials & Making
The cobalt blue pigment was painted directly on to the porcelain body, which was then covered with a clear glaze and fired to a temperature of between 1280 and 1350ºC.
