Dish with John the Baptist
Not on view
This exceptionally large dish is one of the earliest known Chinese porcelains to feature a Christian narrative subject. The scene of Christ’s baptism by Saint John in the river Jordan—based on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, cited on the rim of the dish—probably copies a European print or book illustration. The tall trees and rocky riverbanks evoke the wilderness setting of the biblical account, which contrasts with the six small Chinese landscape vignettes encircling the central scene.
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