Bowl
Unknown Artist
Medium
White porcelain decorated with green enamel and iron red
Dimensions
H. 2 3/8 in. (6 cm); Diam. 4 5/8 in. (11.7 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
China · Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Xuande period (1426–35)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1925
Accession Number
25.60.8
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate porcelain bowl, crafted during China's Ming dynasty Xuande period (142635), exemplifies the era's mastery of ceramic artistry. Standing just 2⅜ inches tall with a 4⅝-inch diameter, it was fashioned from fine white porcelain—a hallmark of imperial kilns at Jingdezhen—and adorned with vibrant green enamel and iron red overglaze decorations. These subtle motifs of birds amid leaves evoke the natural harmony celebrated in Chinese aesthetics, a sense of lively elegance everyday or ceremonial use. Xuande reign, under Xuanzong, marked a golden age for porcelain innovation, blending un...