Bowl, porcelain painted in underglaze blue with figures in landscape, China, Ming dynasty, mid 17th century
Bowl, porcelain painted in underglaze blue with figures in landscape, China, Ming dynasty, mid 17th century. Height: 6 cm, Diameter: 14 cm. C.47-1937. Given by Sir Percival David, Bt. © V&A Images.
Porcelain bowl with out-turned rim mounted in copper alloy. Painted in underglaze blue on the outside with a continuous landscape, depicting water, rocks and pavilions, with fisherman, coolies and two men riding on a buffalo and a donkey respectively; inside, a similar scene with a bridge and men in a boat.
This delicate bowl was made in the workshops at Jingdezhen, southern China during the mid 17th century. Is is very light and so finely potted that the light is visible through its thin walls.
The detailed landscape painting around the body is executed with great delicacy and the effect appears more like ink on paper than cobalt pigment on porcelain.
An inscription on the base 'tai ge jia qi' in underglaze blue reads 'Elegant vessel for the lofty pavilion'. Inscriptions like this one are commonly found on late Ming and early Qing porcelains and reflect the long scholarly tradition of dedicatory inscriptions on calligraphy, paintings and literary works.
Inscriptions and dedications on porcelain can provide invaluable information about the date an object was made and how it was used.
Bibliographic References: Medley, Margaret Illustrated catalogue of porcelains decorated in underglaze blue and copper red. Section 3. London : School of Oriental and African Studies, 1963, no. A.661
Where the reading of the mark is discussed.