Jar with Dragon and Phoenix Design
Unknown Artist
1522–66
Medium
carved lacquer in cinnabar and other colors
Dimensions
h. 11.8 cm · 11.9 × 16 cm
Classification
Lacquer
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1972.14
About this artwork
A phoenix and dragon alternating with two auspicious ornate characters—“fortune” 福（fu) and “longevity” 壽 (shou)—adorn this exquisitely carved lacquer jar. Similar to contemporary five-color (wucai) decoration on porcelain, this jar shows layers of lacquer in black, ochre, green, and cinnabar (red). In a time-consuming process, a multitude of lacquer coatings were applied to the wooden core before its design could be carved into the surface. The phoenix and dragon are imperial emblems suggesting ...