明中期 景德鎮窯法華蓮池水禽紋缸|Basin with lotus pond

Unknown

late 15th century · Porcelain with raised slip and enamels (Jingdezhen fahua ware) · Asian Art

Known as fahua (literally designs with borders), ceramics such as this one share a visual similarity with cloisonné enamel. A white clay paste (or slip) is used to create the outlines of motifs and then filled in with brightly colored enamels. Produced in both north (Shanxi) and south (Jingdezhen) China, fahua ware gained popularity in the late fifteenth to the sixteenth century, slightly later than cloisonné. This elegant work was designed as a small fish bowl or container for paper scrolls on a scholar’s desk.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 15th century

Medium

Porcelain with raised slip and enamels (Jingdezhen fahua ware)

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Bequest of John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1960