Untitled

Unknown

early 15th century · Porcelain painted with cobalt blue under transparent glaze (Jingdezhen ware) · Asian Art

White porcelain painted with cobalt blue, a style that first flourished in China in the fourteenth century, is arguably the most important development in the history of ceramics. Commissioned by the court, this spectacular storage jar, made in the kilns in Jingdezhen, is dated to the rule of the Xuande emperor by an inscription on its shoulder. Its painted decoration features an animated dragon undulating across a sparsely clouded sky.

Artist

Unknown

Date

early 15th century

Medium

Porcelain painted with cobalt blue under transparent glaze (Jingdezhen ware)

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Robert E. Tod, 1937