Plate
1 of 5
Object Label
This plate was made in the imperial porcelain kilns at Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province. Its delicate decoration depicts a virtual botanic garden: on the outer rim are alternating fruit and flowers, including crab apples, peaches, pomegranates, and gingko. At the center are peonies with their large and variegated blossoms symbolizing good fortune.
Caption
Plate, 1368–1644. Porcelain with underglaze, 2 3/4 x 15 1/2 in. (7 x 39.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Samuel P. Avery, by exchange, 51.85. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 51.85_top_PS9.jpg)
Collection
Collection
Title
Plate
Date
1368–1644
Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
Period
Ming Dynasty
Geography
Place made: China
Medium
Porcelain with underglaze
Classification
Dimensions
2 3/4 x 15 1/2 in. (7 x 39.4 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Samuel P. Avery, by exchange
Accession Number
51.85
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
Were these pots painted?
Yes, these Chinese blue-and-white porcelain vessels would have been painted as part of their production process. Cobalt blue pigment would have been painted onto the surface of the vessel prior to glazing and firing.Due to the high heat required to create porcelain, few pigments would have been able to withstand this process. Cobalt is one of those pigments!When is this from?
This beautiful blue-and-white porcelain plate is from early fifteenth century China. It dates to the reign of the Yongle emperor during the Ming dynasty. Ming-dynasty blue-and-white porcelains are often regarded as the height of sophistication and craftsmanship in the style.Porcelains were created at the famous Jingdezhen kilns, the so-called Porcelain City, both for Chinese society and to be exported to the Middle East and Europe. I just love the delicate painting used on this work, the flower is so realistic!Why is so much porcelain blue and white colored?
Blue and white porcelain was very popular throughout Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and later the Americas. Once Chinese potters were able to use cobalt to make blue-and-white porcelain, it quickly became a major export item to the Middle East, where blue-and-white ceramics were very popular.Cobalt, which creates the beautiful blue color, is one of the pigments able to withstand the high firing temperatures required to produce porcelain.Can you tell me about this?
This blue-and-white porcelain is so beautiful! It dates to the Ming dynasty, which is often regarded as the time when some of the best blue-and-white wares were produced in China.The flowers depicted on the vessel have auspicious meanings associated with good luck and other positives. Surrounding oneself with auspicious imagery is believed to be one way to manifest good luck in one's life. For example, lotus flowers and buds are depicted on the plate. The lotus is a symbol of rebirth in Buddhist paradise.My favorite part of this work are the delicate way in which the flowers connect with each other. How about you?I suddenly realized that！ Thank you！Which of these are the lotus flowers?
Hi there, the lotus flowers can be seen around the border on this plate. They are the flowers with petals that end in points!The larger flowers in the center are peonies, and fruits are on the outer rim.Thanks!Why is the blue on these different than on other Chinese ceramics I’ve seen?
As far at the plates: I believe the difference in color is simply a result of different ratio of chemicals in the pigment. My understanding is that Chinese potters at the time were striving for that same brilliant blue every time.Tell me more.
Blue and white porcelain produced in the imperial kilns during this time, the Ming Dynasty, were considered the height of sophistication. Many of them were created to be exported to Europe and the Middle East.One of the characteristic details is the realism in the flowers!
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