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, namely dark blue for Altar of Heaven, yellow for Altar of Earth, red for Altar of the Sun and light blue (considered as 'moon white') for the Altar of the Moon. While performing the ritual the emperor would have worned a sacrificial robe of a matching colour.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Porcelain, decorated with a pale blue glaze |
| Brief description | Jar with pale blue glaze, China, Qing dynasty, Qianlong reign (1736-95) |
| Physical description | Ritual vessel 'zun' made of porcelain covered with a pale blue glaze, bulbous body with two handles in the form of animal heads, mark on base |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | 大清乾隆年製 (On base, in slight relief)
|
| Credit line | George 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 vase made for ceremonial use at the Temple of the Moon 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, namely dark blue for Altar of Heaven, yellow for Altar of Earth, red for Altar of the Sun and light blue (considered as 'moon white') for the Altar of the Moon. While performing the ritual the emperor would have worned a sacrificial robe of a matching colour. |
| Bibliographic reference | Rose Kerr, 'Chinese Ceramics, Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty 1644-1911'
V&A, 1998, No.
|
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.526-1910 |
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| Record created | February 26, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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