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Ewer with Phoenix-Shaped Spouts and Flowers of the Four Seasons, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Kangxi Period (1662-1722). Porcelain with overglaze enamel decoration, 26 x 14 cm. The Alfred and Margaret Caspary Memorial Gift, 1955. Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1955-50-161a,b  

Ewer with Lion-Shaped Finial and Peonies, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Kangxi Period (1662-1722). Porcelain with overglaze enamel decoration, 31.1 x 14.3 cm. The Alfred and Margaret Caspary Memorial Gift, 1955, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1955-50-347a,b. Chinese potters often took inspiration from other mediums, as they did with this ewer, originally a Middle Eastern metalwork form. The translation into porcelain sets off the exotic handle and spout in a yellow basket-weave pattern. The intricate motif of peonies in aubergine and... [Lire la suite]

Jar with Peacocks and Peonies, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Kangxi Period (1662-1722). Porcelain with overglaze enamel decoration, 37.5 x 24.8 cm. The Alfred and Margaret Caspary Memorial Gift, 1955. Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1955-50-260a,b. This pairing of peonies (the King of Flowers) with peacocks (the King of Birds) conveys great blessings and wishes for prosperity.

Pottery Female Figure, Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420). Unearthed from Tianlong Temple in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. Collection of Nanjing Museum Administration.

Jar, porcelain painted in red and green enamels; China, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period (1506-21). Height: 17.5cm. Base length: 10.2cm. Base width: 8.2cm. Acc. No FE.20-1983. Victoria and Albert Museum, London. A basically rectangular jar with chamfered corners, giving an octagonal cross section. There is a raised rim. There is a prominent ridge round the middle of the body where the top and bottom halves are luted together. The body is decorated predominately in red and green enamels. There are four main registers of... [Lire la suite]

Dish with overglaze enamel decoration, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period (1506-1521). Diameter: 21.2cm. Purchased with Art Fund support, the Vallentin Bequest, Sir Percival David and the Universities China Committee, C.56-1935. Victoria and Albert Museum, London Porcelain dish painted in red and green enamels with the addition of turquoise green. Iside are a rock, a flowering peach tree, a parrot and the sun disc. Similar designs outside. Marked on the base with the mark of Zhengde within a double ring of red. Five small holes... [Lire la suite]

Porcelain dish painted in underglaze blue with yellow glaze, China, Ming dynasty, Zhengde reign period and mark (1506-21). Diameter: 29.5cm. Maxwell Brownjohn Bequest, C.50-1965. Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Porcelain dish painted in underglaze blue on a yellow ground with a pomegranate flowers branch in the central medallion and sprays of peach, pomegranate, cherry and another unidentified fuit around it. Four styled lotus sprays are painted on the outside. A six-character inperial mark in a double ring is on the base. ... [Lire la suite]

Porcelain bowl with yellow glaze, China, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period (1506-21). Diameter: 17.8cm. Cappel Bequest, C.51-1936. Victoria and Albert Museum, London The colour of this bowl is a fine example of 'imperial yellow' monochrome. Yellow glazes, obtained with the addition of iron oxide, were used in China during the Tang dynasty (618-907) to decorate funerary figures. But the best results in this tonality were achieved on monochrome vessels produced for the imperial court in the kilns of Jingdezhen from the Ming... [Lire la suite]

Bowl, porcelain with yellow glaze, China (Jingdezhen), Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period (1506-1521). Bequeathed by Edward Louis Cappel, C.50-1936. Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Deep bowl with slighlty everted rim, of porcelain, covered with a yellow glaze, which does not cover the space inside the footring.  

Jar, porcelain with incised designs painted in coloured glazes, China, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period (1506-1521). Height: 17.1cm; Diameter: 18.4cm. Acc. No C.274-1910. Victoria and Albert Museum, London Jar of porcelain, with bulbous body decorated with incised cloud designs painted in coloured glazes on a green ground above a border of lotus-petals and stamens. The neck is octagonal with flat projecting rim and has a conventional fungus border.