Dish
Unknown Artist
Medium
Porcelain painted in underglaze blue
Dimensions
H. 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm); Diam. 9 3/4 in. (24.8 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
China · Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong period (1736–95)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase by subscription, 1879
Accession Number
79.2.1159
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant porcelain dish hails from China's Qing dynasty during the Qianlong period (6–95), a age of imperial porcelain production centered in Jingdezhen. Measuring just 1 ½ inches high and nearly 10 inches across, its shallow form and vibrant underglaze blue decoration—aturing motifs of flowers and—exemplify the refined aesthetic of the era. These naturalistic designs, painted in cobalt blue beneath a transparent glaze before high-temperature firing, evoke the harmony of nature, a recurring theme in Chinese art symbolizing prosperity and endurance. The technique of underglaze blue paintin...