明嘉靖 剔彩二十八宿金曜四星君斗|Rice measure with four constellation deities
Unknown
16th century · Carved red, green, and black lacquer · Asian Art
This vessel’s shape and pattern identify it as a rare example of a rice measure used in Daoist rituals. On each side is a figure in a Daoist robe with one of four animals (dragon, ox, dog, and goat). These animals represent constellation deities from the set of twenty-eight mansions in Chinese astronomy, which reflect the movement of the moon in a sidereal month.
- Artist
- Unknown
- Date
- 16th century
- Medium
- Carved red, green, and black lacquer
- Culture
- China
- Department
- Asian Art
- Credit line
- John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1913
