Ritual Vessel (Fu)
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 blue glaze |
| Brief description | Porcelain vessel with blue glaze, China, Qing dynasty, Qianlong reign (1736-95) |
| Physical description | Ritual vessel (fu) of blue-glazed porcelain. Blue is the colour of the sky and this vessel was used at the Altar of Heaven. "Fu" was a container for grains. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Subjects 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. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | FE.99-1970 |
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| Record created | February 27, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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