Small bowl, Jun ware
13th–14th century
Medium
Stoneware with splashed blue glaze.
Dimensions
Diameter: 3 3/8 in. (8.5cm.)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture
Chinese
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.1674
Art Historical Context
This small bowl, crafted in China during the 13th–14th century, exemplifies the refined elegance of Jun ware ceramics from the Yuan dynasty. Produced in kilns of Henan province, Jun ware gained renown for its sturdy stoneware forms and luminous glazes, which appealed to both imperial courts and scholarly elites. Measuring just 3 3/8 inches across, this intimate vessel reflects the era’s appreciation for understated beauty in everyday objects, blending functionality with subtle artistic expression. The bowl’s defining feature is its stoneware body adorned with a splashed blue glaze, a techniqu...
About the Artist
Chinese
The artist known simply as "Chinese" in museum records represents the vast tradition of anonymous or unattributed masters in Chinese art history, with 99 works preserved in our collection. These pieces exemplify the enduring legacy of guó huà, or traditional Chinese painting, one of the world's oldest continuous artistic practices. Early life is not well documented, as is common for many practitio...