A world of fish and water plants in a lotus pond, drawn on porcelain
Important Cultural Property JAR, blue-and-white porcelain with design of fish and water plants in a lotus pond Yuan dynasty, 14th century Kiln /Jingdezhen ware (gift of SUMITOMO Group, the ATAKA Collection) Photo：六田知弘
Porcelain works that have designs painted under the glaze in cobalt blue (gosu) are called “qinghua” (blue-white porcelain) in China and “sometsuke” in Japan. During the Yuan dynasty, when China was ruled by the Mongols, qinghua was born at the Jingdezhen kiln and swiftly commanded great popularity. The somewhat grotesque fish painted on the front is called a guiyu in Chinese perch in English. It is a freshwater fish with a spiked dorsal fin and speckled body. The jar therefore also has some common ground with the paintings of fish and water plants that came into fashion during the Yuan dynasty. A world of fish and waterplants in a lotus pond permeated with a sense of life and vibrancy unfolds on the jar, which is an excellent piece of Yuan qinghua porcelain.
| Items | Details |
|---|---|
| The Power of Osaka | The Power of Art |
| Storage Facilities | The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka |
| Category | High resolution |
