Covered Jar (1573–1620): Art, History and Details

Covered Jar (1573–1620) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

In the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties, luxury items became more affordable to larger parts of the society, including women, merchants, and literati in non-official positions. Imperial patronage and a growing urban population encouraged consumption of luxury goods and local craftmanship. This covered porcelain jar has blue underglaze and overglaze in red, green and blue enamels. It shows Ming dynasty advancements in porcelain decoration and the creative mind of the talented artisans who made it.

Object facts

• Title: Covered Jar
• Date: 1573–1620
• Culture: China, Jiangxi province, Jingdezhen kilns, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Wanli reign (1573-1620)
• Type: Ceramic
• Technique: porcelain with blue underglaze decoration and overglaze enamels in red, green, and yellow
• Dimensions: Overall: 10.2 cm (4 in.)
• Collection: China - Ming Dynasty
• Department: Chinese Art
• Accession number: 1957.62

A detail from the museum

This jar is painted with 16 figures of all ages enjoying a garden setting.

Collection credit

John L. Severance Fund

Further reading listed by the museum

• The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958.
• Mayuyama, Junkichi 繭山順吉, ed. Chinese Ceramics in the West: Compendium of Chinese Ceramic Masterpieces in European and American Collection 欧米蒐蔵中国陶磁図錄. Tokyo: Mayuyama & Co, 1960.
• Lee, Sherman E. A History of Far Eastern Art. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1964.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.