Porcelain Jar
Yuan dynasty, mid 14th century
Height: 28.5cm
Large porcelain baluster jar, guan. The sides flare out from the thick ring-foot encircling the flat, unglazed base with knife-cut marks, rising to the generous, rounded shoulders and short, collared neck. The body of the vessel is boldly and freely painted with four different fish in a lotus pond, within double line borders. The most recognizable of the fish is the Chinese perch (also known as mandarin fish), with its mottled skin, spiky, bony dorsal fin and rounded tail. Its mouth is agape, revealing sharp, pointed teeth, as it spies for prey with large, round eyes. Three other fish, all members of the carp family, swim around the jar. Facing the Chinese perch is a plump fish, with a small head, fleshy lips, triangular dorsal fin and scales depicted by cross-hatching. The third fish, the common carp with its barbels, long scalloped dorsal fin and large scales, is painted with its tail twisted, as if swimming upwards. Opposite it, the fourth fish is depicted with triangular dorsal fin, thick fleshy lips slightly parted, overlapping curves to show scales, and bifurcated tail fin flicked slightly upwards. The fish are separated by groups of lotus plants, each emerging from a swirl of water, with flowers shown in profile, and from above, the petals carefully defined and shaded, and supported on swaying, slender, hairy stems. The large rounded leaves are also realistically painted in profile and from above, with prominent veins and in some cases, drooping and nibbled by insects, while others remain furled. Clumps of lily pads float in the water, along with water clover and three-petalled duckweed. Eel grass rises from the bottom, emerging in undulating strands of different lengths, painted with calligraphic precision, together with the feathery fronds of hornwort. The exterior of the neck is painted with a wave band with very fine swirling lines. Two stylized symbols are painted on the interior of the neck: one is possibly a reversed potter’s mark, Ding; and the other is possibly a notation for five, wu, or ten, shi, or an auspicious symbol signifying ‘peace’ or ‘safety’, yi. The cobalt is a brilliant rich blue, and the exterior of the jar, and part of the interior are covered with a thick bluish-white glaze.
Provenance:
An East Asian private collection.
Similar example:
The Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York.