明天啟　經筵欽賜銀盤|Presentation dish for an imperial lecture1621

Unknown

1621 · Silver · Asian Art

The mark in the rectangular cartouche on the top of the dish notes it was a gift made for an imperial lecture (jingyan) in 1621. In this type of lecture, erudite officials taught Confucian classics to the emperor, who often presented the teachers with valuable gifts, such as this rare example of skillful metalwork from the imperial Ming workshop. The decoration shows a scholar official, proudly walking under a parasol, being escorted to the palace for an imperial lecture.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1621

Medium

Silver

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Julia and John Curtis, in celebration of the Museum’s 150th Anniversary, 2020