Name/Title
JarEntry/Object ID
L2014.1.38Description
Chinese export porcelain lidded jar with floral and geometric designs. The jar is reinforced by applied silver bands, which were likely applied after the jar was exported.Cylindrical jar standing on a foot ring with a low, domed cover with a tear-drop shaped finial.
The jar is painted in underglaze blue with two rectangular panels separated by scrolling floral vines. One panel contains precious objects, or babao, including a coin, mirror, books, and an artemisia leaf, and examples of the hundred antiquities, or bogu, including two three-legged ding and a beaker vase, or gu, containing ostrich feathers. The other panel contains a basket of flowers.
The jar cracked at some point in its history and was repaired with two reeded silver bands.
Jars like this were used in Europe and the Americas for sugar, candies, or butter. Similar covered jars collected by Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, were described in the 1721 palace inventory as butter boxes and in the 1779 inventory as sugar boxes (Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, PO 1234 and PO 1239)Collection
CeramicsMade/Created
Date made
circa 1700 - circa 1720Time Period
18th CenturyPlace
City
JingdezhenLocation
ChinaRegion
East AsiaContinent
AsiaMaterial
Hard Paste Porcelain, Silver
