Bowl with molded decoration

Bowl: spreading ovoidal; thin basal ring; copper rim.
Clay: very thin, with translucent areas; grayish-white; sonant. Translucent white porcelain.
Glaze: transparent, colorless.
Decoration: molded in paste, under glaze. On interior: band of four phoenixes in clouds, six-petalled flowerhead in center bottom.

Historical period(s)
Later Le dynasty, 15th century
Medium
Porcelain with clear, slightly grayish glaze; metal rim
Dimensions
H x W: 5.3 x 10.4 cm (2 1/16 x 4 1/8 in)
Geography
Vietnam, Hai Duong province, Hanoi or Red River Delta kilns
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1929.82
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Bowl

Keywords
clear glaze, cloud, crane, Later Le dynasty (1428 - 1527), phoenix, porcelain, Vietnam
Provenance

1929
Yamanaka and Company, New York 1929 [1]

From 1929
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Yamanaka and Company, New York in 1929 [2]

Notes:

[1] Object file, undated folder sheet. Also see Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List file, Collections Management Office.

[2] See note 1.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Yamanaka and Co. 1917-1965

Description

Bowl: spreading ovoidal; thin basal ring; copper rim.
Clay: very thin, with translucent areas; grayish-white; sonant. Translucent white porcelain.
Glaze: transparent, colorless.
Decoration: molded in paste, under glaze. On interior: band of four phoenixes in clouds, six-petalled flowerhead in center bottom.

Label

Similar translucent bowls, bearing molded designs of dragons or phoenixes (both imperial emblems), have been excavated from the fifteenth-century layer of the Ba Dinh site in central Hanoi.

Published References
  • Louise Allison Cort, George Williams, David P. Rehfuss. Ceramics in Mainland Southeast Asia. Washington. .
  • Else S. Duncan. The Collector's First Handbook on Antique Chinese Ceramics. Chevy Chase. pl. 1.
  • David P. Rehfuss. Letter to the Editor. vol. 38, no. 4 Hong Kong, July - August 2008. p. 12.
  • Ideals of Beauty: Asian and American Art in the Freer and Sackler Galleries. Thames and Hudson World of Art London and Washington, 2010. p. 168.
Collection Area(s)
Southeast Asian Art
Web Resources
Ceramics in Mainland Southeast Asia
Google Cultural Institute
F|S Southeast Asia
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use