清康熙 景德鎮窯五彩仙女圖盤|Plate with fairies, deer, and bats
Unknown Artist
Medium
Porcelain painted with overglaze polychrome enamels (Jingdezhen ware)
Dimensions
Diam. 6 3/4 in. (17.1 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
China · Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Kangxi period (1662–1722)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Edwin C. Vogel, 1963
Accession Number
63.213.13
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite porcelain plate, crafted in Jingdezhen during the Kangxi period (1662–1722) of China's Qing dynasty, exemplifies the era's pinnacle of ceramic artistry. Known as a "wucai" (five-color piece, it features vibrant overglaze polychrome enam depicting graceful fairies, deer, and bats—auspicious motifs symbolizing immortality, longevity, and good fortune. Jingdezhen, the imperial porcelain capital, produced such wares for the court and elite collectors, blending technical innovation with symbolic depth to celebrate harmony between humans and the natural, supernatural world. The mediu...