Fragment of the base, wall, and rim of a small celadon bowl

Shape: Fragment of a small celadon bowl. Wheel thrown. The shard includes part of the footring, wall, and rim of the bowl. Height of the footring is approximately 1.5 cm on the outside and 1.1 cm on the inside. The wall of the bowl is 0.9 cm thick immediately above the foot and 0.4 cm thick at the rim. The footring is well-carved and bevelled/rounded on the outside bottom edge.

Clay: Very fine, light gray stoneware clay with a moderate number of fine black inclusions and small air pockets. The gray clay burned brick-red where exposed to the kiln atmosphere.

Glaze: Unctuous, translucent, thick apple-green celadon. The bubbly glaze is uncrackled and covers the footring as well as the mouth of the bowl. The inside of the foot has an unglazed ring which was used to support the bowl during firing.

Decoration: The outside wall displays incised lotus petals which extend from the top of the footring almost to the rim. The mirror appears to have borne at least two impressed fish although only the very ends of the tails are visible on the shard. The fish were enclosed by two incised circles.

Marks: None.

Historical period(s)
Yuan or Ming dynasty, 14th century
Medium
Stoneware with celadon glaze
Style
Longquan ware
Dimensions
H x W x D: 7 x 9.5 x 6.2 cm (2 3/4 x 3 3/4 x 2 7/16 in)
Geography
China, Zhejiang province, Longquan
Credit Line
Gift of John A. Pope
Collection
Freer Study Collection
Accession Number
FSC-P-458
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Bowl (fragment)

Keywords
China, fish, green glaze, Longquan ware, lotus, stoneware, Yuan dynasty (1279 - 1368)
Provenance

To 1957
John A. Pope (1906-1982), Washington DC, collected between August 1956 and April 1957 in Angkor, Cambodia. [1]

From 1957
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of John A. Pope, Washington DC [2]

Notes:

[1] See Curatorial Remark 2 in the object record. See also “Ceramics in Mainland and Southeast Asia: Collections in the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery”, copy in object file, Collections Management Office.

[2] See note 1. See also object file, Collections Management Office.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Dr. John Alexander Pope 1906-1982

Description

Shape: Fragment of a small celadon bowl. Wheel thrown. The shard includes part of the footring, wall, and rim of the bowl. Height of the footring is approximately 1.5 cm on the outside and 1.1 cm on the inside. The wall of the bowl is 0.9 cm thick immediately above the foot and 0.4 cm thick at the rim. The footring is well-carved and bevelled/rounded on the outside bottom edge.

Clay: Very fine, light gray stoneware clay with a moderate number of fine black inclusions and small air pockets. The gray clay burned brick-red where exposed to the kiln atmosphere.

Glaze: Unctuous, translucent, thick apple-green celadon. The bubbly glaze is uncrackled and covers the footring as well as the mouth of the bowl. The inside of the foot has an unglazed ring which was used to support the bowl during firing.

Decoration: The outside wall displays incised lotus petals which extend from the top of the footring almost to the rim. The mirror appears to have borne at least two impressed fish although only the very ends of the tails are visible on the shard. The fish were enclosed by two incised circles.

Marks: None.

Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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