Zhangzhou ware jar with dragon design

Jar, inverted pear shape with low straight neck, thickened lip and low footrim; four loop handles.
Body: coarse grayish white porcelain.
Glaze: thin, uneven, transparent rusty-tan, crackled and pitted.
Decoration: in underglaze blue, two dragons among clouds.

View right to left

Historical period(s)
Ming dynasty, late 16th-early 17th century
Medium
Porcelain with cobalt pigment under clear, colorless glaze
Style
Zhangzhou ware
Dimensions
H x Diam: 27.2 × 23.9 cm (10 11/16 × 9 7/16 in)
Geography
China, Fujian province, Pinghe county, Zhangzhou city, Nansheng kiln group
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1906.18
On View Location
Freer Gallery 12: The Peacock Room Comes to America
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Jar

Keywords
China, dragon, Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644), porcelain, Zhangzhou ware
Provenance

To 1906
Sir William Van Horne (1843-1915), to 1906 [1]

From 1906 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), given by Sir William Van Horne in 1906 [2]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:

[1] Object file.

[2] See note 1.

[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Sir William Van Horne (C.L. Freer source) 1843-1915
Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919

Description

Jar, inverted pear shape with low straight neck, thickened lip and low footrim; four loop handles.
Body: coarse grayish white porcelain.
Glaze: thin, uneven, transparent rusty-tan, crackled and pitted.
Decoration: in underglaze blue, two dragons among clouds.

Published References
  • Ann Frank. Chinese Blue and White. New York. frontispiece.
  • Warren E. Cox. The Book of Pottery and Porcelain. 2 vols., New York. vol. 1: p. 521, pl. 149.
  • Kamer Aga-Oglu. Ming Export Blue and White Jars in the University of Michigan Collection. vol. 11, no. 3 Detroit, Summer 1948. pp. 201-217.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
The Story of the Beautiful
Google Cultural Institute
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