Accession Number
1971/2.110

Title
Bowl

Artist(s)
Chinese

Artist Nationality
Chinese (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
1127-1368

Medium & Support
stoneware with glaze

Dimensions
1 15/16 in x 4 13/16 in x 4 13/16 in (4.92 cm x 12.22 cm x 12.22 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Mr. Jennis R. Galloway

Subject matter
A longquan celadon bowl of the Southern Song (1127-1279) to Yuan Dynasties (1279-1368), the exterior carved to resemble a lotus flower. The lotus flower is related to Pure Land Buddhism where practitioners are reborn into Amitabha's Western Paradise through lotus buds.

Longquan is the most representative, widespread, and esteemed ware of the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). Production started during the Five Dynasties period (907-960) at the kilns near the market town of Longquan, where in later dynasties much of the ware was collected for shipping. Technological advances such as the development of a multi-chambered, rising kiln and the use of stacked saggars—protective clay boxes—allowed for increased production in the Southern Song. In Yuan (1279-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) times, the kilns supplied wares to a domestic market as well as to overseas markets in Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia.

Physical Description
A small stoneware bowl on a footring with an everted, flat rim. It is carved on the exterior to resemble lotus petals, and covered in a green celadon glaze. 

Primary Object Classification
Ceramic

Primary Object Type
vessel

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
bowl
bowls (vessels)
celadon (glaze)
ceramic (material)
lotus (motif)
stoneware (pottery)