Jar and Lid
about 1680 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This tea-caddy was produced at the kilns of Jingdezhen, in south-east China, during the early 18th century, when the fashion for Chinese porcelain was at its highest in Europe. Jingdezhen was at the time the major ceramic centre in China, supplying both the domestic and export markets.
The decoration of slender ladies on the surface was a particularly popular motif during this period. They were known as mei ren (beautiful women) in Chinese and as lange lijzen ('long elizas') in Dutch.
Porcelain objects decorated in underglaze blue and in polychrome enamels were used as tableware or exhibited as decorative pieces in the residences of aristocrats and wealthy people, as part of the so-called 'porcelain rooms'. One of the largest collection of Chinese porcelain known in Europe belonged to August the Strong of Saxony (d. 1733), who owned more than 21,000 pieces.
The decoration of slender ladies on the surface was a particularly popular motif during this period. They were known as mei ren (beautiful women) in Chinese and as lange lijzen ('long elizas') in Dutch.
Porcelain objects decorated in underglaze blue and in polychrome enamels were used as tableware or exhibited as decorative pieces in the residences of aristocrats and wealthy people, as part of the so-called 'porcelain rooms'. One of the largest collection of Chinese porcelain known in Europe belonged to August the Strong of Saxony (d. 1733), who owned more than 21,000 pieces.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Porcelain painted in underglaze blue |
| Brief description | Jar and lid, porcelain painted in underglaze blue with four ladies in a garden, Jingdezhen, China, Qing dynasty, Kangxi reign (1662-1722) |
| Physical description | Porcelain ovoid jar with lid, one of a pair, painted in underglaze blue with four ladies in a garden, one of them watering plants. On the lid with a boy on the flat-top, and bamboo sprays on the side. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Marks and inscriptions | Mark of a leaf in underglaze blue |
| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by W. H. Cope, Esq. |
| Object history | Bequeathed by Mr. W. H. Cope, accessioned in 1903. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This tea-caddy was produced at the kilns of Jingdezhen, in south-east China, during the early 18th century, when the fashion for Chinese porcelain was at its highest in Europe. Jingdezhen was at the time the major ceramic centre in China, supplying both the domestic and export markets. The decoration of slender ladies on the surface was a particularly popular motif during this period. They were known as mei ren (beautiful women) in Chinese and as lange lijzen ('long elizas') in Dutch. Porcelain objects decorated in underglaze blue and in polychrome enamels were used as tableware or exhibited as decorative pieces in the residences of aristocrats and wealthy people, as part of the so-called 'porcelain rooms'. One of the largest collection of Chinese porcelain known in Europe belonged to August the Strong of Saxony (d. 1733), who owned more than 21,000 pieces. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 649&A-1903 |
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| Record created | December 10, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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