Accession Number
2005/2.82

Title
Bowl

Artist(s)
Chinese

Artist Nationality
Chinese (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
420-589

Medium & Support
glaze on stoneware

Dimensions
1 3/16 in x 5 11/16 in x 5 11/16 in (3.02 cm x 14.45 cm x 14.45 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Ping and Zenobia Lee

Subject matter
A shallow stoneware celadon bowl of the Southern Dynasties (420-589), which includes the Song (420-477), Qi (479-502), Liang (502-556) and Chen (557-589) dynasties of the Six Dynasties (234-581). It was probably made at one of the yue kilns in northern Zhejiang province, which were the leading producers of celadon during the Six Dynasties.  

Lotus flowers have been a common motif in Chinese ceramics since the introduction of Buddhism. In Pure Land Buddhism—perhaps the school of East Asian Buddhism that was most accessible to the layperson—devotees were promised rebirth in the Western Paradise of the Buddha Amitâbha, if they would only call out Amitâbha’s name, even with one’s last breath. Images of the Western Paradise show these reborn souls emerging from lotus buds in a pond in Amitâbha’s realm.

Physical Description
A small, shallow stoneware bowl with flaring sides and a flat rim.  The interior is molded with an eight petal lotus flower, and it is covered in a pale gray-green celadon glaze. 

Primary Object Classification
Ceramic

Primary Object Type
bowl

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
bowls (vessels)
celadon (glaze)
ceramic (material)
lotus (motif)
stoneware (pottery)