<em>Wine Jar with Fish and Aquatic Plants</em>, 14th century. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt blue decoration, 11 15/16 x 13 3/4in. (30.3 x 34.9cm). Brooklyn Museum, The William E. Hutchins Collection, Bequest of Augustus S. Hutchins, 52.87.1. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 52.87.1_side1_PS9.jpg)

Wine Jar with Fish and Aquatic Plants, 14th century. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt blue decoration, 11 15/16 x 13 3/4in. (30.3 x 34.9cm). Brooklyn Museum, The William E. Hutchins Collection, Bequest of Augustus S. Hutchins, 52.87.1. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 52.87.1_side1_PS9.jpg)

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What did they use to get such a deep blue?

The pigment is made from cobalt!

The mineral was ground into powder and used to color a paint. The paint was applied to the surface of the clay before it was covered in clear glaze and fired in a kiln. Cobalt was favored because it would retain its blue color through the high temperatures required to harden porcelain.

Thank you!

Was there a top for this?

Yes, there would have been a lid or top for this. It also would have been made from porcelain and fit over the rim.

Would this be a functional piece or decorative?

It's both. It would have actually held wine but the decoration was just as important.

The high quality blue and white porcelain, as well as the intricate design, heavy with symbolic significance, would have been a sign of prestige and scholarly knowledge.

Who used this, and what was their status?

The detailed and clever design on this jar as well as its exceptional quality suggest that it served as a prestige object in the collection of an elite member of society. He would have used it at gatherings to show off his scholarly knowledge.

Wine Jar with Fish and Aquatic Plants

Asian Art

On View: Asian Galleries, West, 2nd floor (China)

About this Brooklyn Icon
The Brooklyn Museum is commemorating its 200th anniversary by spotlighting 200 standout objects in its encyclopedic collection.

Widely acknowledged to be one of the finest early blue-and-white porcelains, this voluptuous jar is covered with masterfully painted aquatic life, including four identifiable species of fish. The fish represent a pun in Mandarin: when their species names are spoken out loud, it sounds the same as the phrase “honest and incorruptible.” In the 1300s, when this jar was made, China exported most blue-and-white porcelains to avid markets in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. This jar’s pun and shape, which was specific to Chinese wine-drinking practices, suggest that it was a rare example designed to remain in China.

The practice of decorating ceramics with cobalt developed in the Middle East, where cobalt was abundant. In China, the technology was adopted, improved, and used on porcelain, the bright-white ceramic that only artists in China knew how to make. Until the 15th century, cobalt was imported from Iran and nearby areas because a Chinese source for cobalt had not been found. On early Chinese blue-and-white porcelains (like this jar) the decoration is very dark blue, indicating the use of imported cobalt; later wares decorated in Chinese cobalt have a lighter, slightly purple tone.

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Gallery Label

This jar is one of the finest surviving examples of early blue-and-white porcelain. The very dark blue of the masterfully painted decoration indicates that the cobalt was imported from western Asia, dating the jar to a time before the mineral was discovered within China. In this early period, most blue-and- white wares were made for export to the Middle East, but this jar's distinctive decoration suggests that it was made for domestic use. When said aloud, the Mandarin Chinese names for the four fish—mackerel, whitefish, carp, and freshwater perch (qing bai lian jie)—form a pun of the phrase meaning "honest and incorruptible," a visual wordplay that a Mandarin- speaking audience would have appreciated.

MEDIUM Porcelain with underglaze cobalt blue decoration

Place Made: China

DATES 14th century

DYNASTY Yuan Dynasty

PERIOD Yuan Dynasty

DIMENSIONS 11 15/16 x 13 3/4in. (30.3 x 34.9cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Asian Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 52.87.1

CREDIT LINE The William E. Hutchins Collection, Bequest of Augustus S. Hutchins

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Oviform jar, heavy porcelain body with transparent glaze and underglaze painting in cobalt blue of four fish amid lotus blossoms and aquatic plants. Unglazed base with broad foot rim. Waves encircle the neck. Except for small firing imperfections, condition is excellent. Jingdezhen ware porcelain with underglaze cobalt blue decoration.

EXHIBITIONS

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Asian Galleries, West, 2nd floor (China)

CAPTION Wine Jar with Fish and Aquatic Plants, 14th century. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt blue decoration, 11 15/16 x 13 3/4in. (30.3 x 34.9cm). Brooklyn Museum, The William E. Hutchins Collection, Bequest of Augustus S. Hutchins, 52.87.1. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 52.87.1_side1_PS9.jpg)

IMAGE profile, 52.87.1_side1_PS9.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2014

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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

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