Bowl Stand
1000-1125 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A bowlstand was a luxury object, not a daily necessity. According to legend it was invented by a noblewoman in the 8th century. Finding a tea bowl too hot to hold in her hands she put it on a saucer, and to stop the bowl sliding on the saucer she put wax around its foot. The shape of the present bowlstand, with its lobed flange and splayed foot, is much more elaborate than a simple saucer on which to rest a bowl.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Porcelain, glazed |
| Brief description | Qingbai ware. Bowl stand, porcelain with qingbai (bluish-white) glaze; China (Jingdezhen), Northern Song, 1000-1125 |
| Physical description | Bowl stand, six-lobed, high foot with spreading rim. Porcelain with qingbai (bluish-white) glaze. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Purchased with Art Fund support, the Vallentin Bequest, Sir Percival David and the Universities China Committee |
| Summary | A bowlstand was a luxury object, not a daily necessity. According to legend it was invented by a noblewoman in the 8th century. Finding a tea bowl too hot to hold in her hands she put it on a saucer, and to stop the bowl sliding on the saucer she put wax around its foot. The shape of the present bowlstand, with its lobed flange and splayed foot, is much more elaborate than a simple saucer on which to rest a bowl. |
| Bibliographic reference | Kerr, Rose. Song Dynasty Ceramics. London: V&A Publications, 2004.
Plate 99 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.839-1936 |
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| Record created | April 2, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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