Jar&Lid thumbnail 1
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Jar&Lid

1662-1722 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

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.

Delve deeper

Discover more about this object
read Chinese blue-and-white ceramics Originally invented in China, blue-and-white ceramics were widely circulated, copied and re-created by makers worldwide, becoming one of the most well-known and enduring products in the history of Chinese porcelain.

Object details

Category
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Jar
  • Lid
Materials and techniques
Porcelain, decorated in underglaze cobalt blue
Brief description
Jar and lid, porcelain painted in underglaze blue, China, Jingdezhen, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), 1662-1722
Physical description
Jar and lid of porcelain, globular form painted in blue with a figures in a scene. Around the rim of the lid, a swirling pattern. On the top of the lid, a scaled animal.
Dimensions
  • Height: 23cm
  • Diameter: 20cm
Dimensions checked: Measured; 17/06/1999 by LH
Style
Marks and inscriptions
False mark of the earlier Chenghua reign period (1465-87) on the base
Gallery label
(27/03/2003)
British Galleries:
CHINESE BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAIN

Many collectors admired Chinese blue and white porcelain. These pieces were owned by the artists James McNeill Whistler and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who began collecting in the 1860s. The most important dealer selling such porcelain was Murray Marks (1840-1918) whose business card showed a painting by Whistler of a blue and white jar.
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.
Made at the Jingdezhen kilns in Jiangxi Province, China;;
Production
Kangxi reign period
Summary
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.
Collection
Accession number
C.836&A-1910

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Record createdMarch 27, 2003
Record URL
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