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Jar with dragon

early 15th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 202
White porcelain painted with cobalt blue, a style that first flourished in China in the fourteenth century, is arguably the most important development in the history of ceramics. Commissioned by the court, this spectacular storage jar, made in the kilns in Jingdezhen, is dated to the rule of the Xuande emperor by an inscription on its shoulder. Its painted decoration features an animated dragon undulating across a sparsely clouded sky.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Jar with dragon
  • Period: Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Xuande mark and period (1426–35)
  • Date: early 15th century
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Porcelain painted with cobalt blue under transparent glaze (Jingdezhen ware)
  • Dimensions: H. 19 in. (48.3 cm); Diam. 19 in. (48.3 cm)
  • Classification: Ceramics
  • Credit Line: Gift of Robert E. Tod, 1937
  • Object Number: 37.191.1
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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