Dish
Unknown Artist
Medium
Pottery (Jun ware)
Dimensions
H. 2 in. (5.1 cm); L. 7 1/8 in. (18.1 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
China · Song dynasty (960–1279)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Samuel T. Peters, 1926
Accession Number
26.292.7
Art Historical Context
This elegant dish exemplifies the artistry of China's Song dynasty (960–1279), a period renowned for its refined ceramics and technological innovations in pottery. Crafted in Jun ware—a distinctive type of stoneware from northern kilns—this shallow vessel measures just 2 inches high and 7⅛ inches long, perfect for serving delicate foods or as a decorative stand. Its modest dimensions belie the sophistication of Song potters, who elevated everyday objects into symbols of imperial taste and philosophical harmony with nature. Jun ware is celebrated for its thick, opaque glazes fired at high temp...