jar BM-1968-0422.41

Period:Ming dynasty Production date:1465-1487
Materials:porcelain
Technique:glazed, doucai, underglazed,
Subjects:plant dragon fruit
Dimensions:Diameter: 11 centimetres (base) Height: 12 centimetres

Description:
Porcelain ovoid jar with decoration in underglaze blue and overglaze enamel in ‘doucai’ style. This ovoid jar has a low inward-tapering neck, rounded shoulders, a broad base and narrow foot ring. It is made of very translucent porcelain of superb quality Outside it is decorated in ‘doucai’ style with two ‘chi’ dragons in underglaze blue among flowering and fruiting melon vines, outlined and infilled with green, red and yellow overglaze enamels. The dragons, painted in pale shades of blue, have clenched jaws, bulging eyes, three-clawed paws and bifurcated scrolling tails. They are unusual as they lack scales. Above and below this is a band of lappets outlined in blue and over-painted with red enamel. Double blue lines around the ‘leck’ rim and foot are further decorated with yellow enamel. Beneath a yellow-toted blue-white glaze the character 天 ‘tian’ marks the base in underglaze blue.
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Comments:Harrison-Hall 2001:Ajar of this type was excavated at Zhushan, Jingdezhen, in the late Chenghua strata. Another identical jar survives in the Tokyo National Museum. Such jars were originally made with one of two different types of cover, either flat or domed with a finial knob, which fitted over the neck. The 天 ‘tian’ mark, meaning heaven, appears to have been used only during the Chenghua era and only on jars, all of which have related ‘doucai’ decoration of different types of dragon, mythical sea creature or the Eight Buddhist Treasures. Possibly the jars were used for some ritual purpose involving a celebration of heaven or the mark may refer to the Emperor himself.