Cup with a scene of Taoist temples, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Reign of the Jiajing emperor (1522-1566), China, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. Painted and glazed porcelain. H. 4 in x Diam. 4 1/2 in, H. 10.2 cm x Diam. 11.5 cm.  The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P2374. © 2016 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture.

The shape of this cup, resembling an upside-down bell, was commonly reproduced throughout the Qing period. The interior creates an atmosphere of immortal lands, with clouds on both the lip and the base. The outside is painted with four open panels on a cloud-and-crane background, each embracing an image of a sacred building borrowed from architecture and contemporary paintings. The light blue color, typical of the period, was an attempt to imitate the Chenghua underglaze-blue.