Period:Ming dynasty Production date:1500-1620 (circa)
Materials:earthenware (high-fired)
Technique:glazed, moulded,
Subjects:flaming jewel dragon
Dimensions:Diameter: 18.80 centimetres Length: 37 centimetres
Description:
Earthenware ‘goutou’ tile with moulded decoration and yellow glaze. This is unique among the ridge tiles in the Museum’s collection both in terms of glaze and design. Its terminal ‘goutou’ has a ribbed edge in place of the wide border more typically found on Ming tiles. The dragon is shown full frontal in raised relief, rather than in profile as is more typically found on Ming tiles. The dragon’s paws have five claws and its body is transformed into a series of sinewy parts with protrusions in the form of ‘lingzhi’ plants. Its front legs stride over a flaming pearl. Interestingly its yellow glaze appears red-brown where thin. There is a poor fit between glaze and body and much of the glaze has flaked off. The tile is also damaged on top.
IMG
![图片[1]-tile BM-1911-0707.1-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/Ming dynasty/43/mid_00251913_001.jpg)
![图片[2]-tile BM-1911-0707.1-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/Ming dynasty/43/mid_00855373_001.jpg)
Comments:Harrison-Hall 2001:Both the dragon ornament and the yellow glaze suggest that this tile was made for the roof of an imperial building.High-fired earthenware. The book of words (Liu Dake ‘Zhongguo gu jianzhu wa shi yingfa’ p.212) suggests that the three biggest official sizes were 20.8cm, 19.2cm and 17.6cm in width respectively. BMs 18.8 would have been in the second biggest category, from the Forbidden City or equivalent status. The corresponding lengths would have been 43.2, 40 and 36.8cm, but BM’s has a damaged and incomplete flange which could have been accidentally shortened. The frontally-presented dragon is rare in architectural components. All the examples from Nanjing (presumably all Ming) and from the Ming tombs have the head of the dragon parallel to the picture-plane and likewise all the extant examples now in Beijing. An example at Chunyanggong, a Daoist temple in Taoyuan has a design which is proud of the rim. This latter design quality appears on some Shanxi goutou (see p.130 in Clarence Eng’s thesis) but is not a general quality even in Shanxi.Goutou designs with unusual faces and simplified rims seem to be a Shanxi speciality and I wouldn’t rule out Shanxi as a possibility, but the yellow glaze and the size of this object would suggest a hugely prestigious project (and therefore your indicated Beijing location more likely). Dr Clarence Eng December 2008.
Materials:earthenware (high-fired)
Technique:glazed, moulded,
Subjects:flaming jewel dragon
Dimensions:Diameter: 18.80 centimetres Length: 37 centimetres
Description:
Earthenware ‘goutou’ tile with moulded decoration and yellow glaze. This is unique among the ridge tiles in the Museum’s collection both in terms of glaze and design. Its terminal ‘goutou’ has a ribbed edge in place of the wide border more typically found on Ming tiles. The dragon is shown full frontal in raised relief, rather than in profile as is more typically found on Ming tiles. The dragon’s paws have five claws and its body is transformed into a series of sinewy parts with protrusions in the form of ‘lingzhi’ plants. Its front legs stride over a flaming pearl. Interestingly its yellow glaze appears red-brown where thin. There is a poor fit between glaze and body and much of the glaze has flaked off. The tile is also damaged on top.
IMG
Comments:Harrison-Hall 2001:Both the dragon ornament and the yellow glaze suggest that this tile was made for the roof of an imperial building.High-fired earthenware. The book of words (Liu Dake ‘Zhongguo gu jianzhu wa shi yingfa’ p.212) suggests that the three biggest official sizes were 20.8cm, 19.2cm and 17.6cm in width respectively. BMs 18.8 would have been in the second biggest category, from the Forbidden City or equivalent status. The corresponding lengths would have been 43.2, 40 and 36.8cm, but BM’s has a damaged and incomplete flange which could have been accidentally shortened. The frontally-presented dragon is rare in architectural components. All the examples from Nanjing (presumably all Ming) and from the Ming tombs have the head of the dragon parallel to the picture-plane and likewise all the extant examples now in Beijing. An example at Chunyanggong, a Daoist temple in Taoyuan has a design which is proud of the rim. This latter design quality appears on some Shanxi goutou (see p.130 in Clarence Eng’s thesis) but is not a general quality even in Shanxi.Goutou designs with unusual faces and simplified rims seem to be a Shanxi speciality and I wouldn’t rule out Shanxi as a possibility, but the yellow glaze and the size of this object would suggest a hugely prestigious project (and therefore your indicated Beijing location more likely). Dr Clarence Eng December 2008.
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