Accession Number
1972/1.155

Title
Bowl

Artist(s)
Chinese

Artist Nationality
Chinese (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
1368-1644

Medium & Support
porcelain with glaze, and underglaze

Dimensions
3 1/2 in x 8 1/16 in x 8 1/16 in (8.89 cm x 20.48 cm x 20.48 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Mr. Jennis R. Galloway through the Friends of the Museum of Art

Subject matter
A qinghua (清华) blue and white bowl of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

This particular bowl features a male lion, one of the most auspicous animals in Chinese culture, playing with a coin-like ball. Lions were introduced to China along with Buddhism from Central Asia during the period of the Six Dynasties (220-580). They are said to have supernatural powers as protectors or guardian figures. 

The discovery of kaolin clay at Jingdezhen, Jiangxi led to the establishment of official kilns during the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), and the production of pure, white, hard paste porcelain and porcelain decorated with underglaze blue. During the 13th century of the Yuan dynasty, with the establishment of Pax Mongolia, blue and white porcelains were exported to Europe and the Middle East, as both tribute gifts as well as for the overseas export market. This continued through the Ming dynasty where porcelain was used domestically by all classes of society.  A vast array of forms and designs were made to appeal to a large and diverse overseas as well as domestic market.
One of the most popular forms of decoration was underglaze cobalt blue. During the Yuan dynasty, the principal source of cobalt came from Persia, in the Ming, however, local sources were found. The domestic cobalt, high in manganese and iron, resulted in a deep blue color with dark specks that has become known as a “heap and piled” effect, a hallmark of Ming qinghua (blue and white) wares, that was imitated in the later Qing dynasty.

Physical Description
A porcelain hemispherical bowl with direct rim on a footring, the interior base is painted to depict a lion playing with a ball that looks like a coin, surrounded by a flowing ribbon. The bowl is covered in a clear 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
blue-and-white (ceramic glaze)
bowl
bowls (vessels)
ceramic (material)
cobalt (mineral)
cobalt blue (pigment)
guardian lions
porcelain (material)
porcelain (visual works)