Skip to main content

Bowl with Bird

Chinese

Artwork Details

Bowl with Bird
317-439
Chinese
glaze on stoneware
1 9/16 in x 3 15/16 in x 3 15/16 in (3.97 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm)
Gift of Ping and Zenobia Lee
2005/2.88

Description

Subject Matter:

A shallow celadon mingqi (明器) (literally "bright objects") bowl with bird of the Eastern Jin dynasty (317-439).

Zhejiang yue celadon potters of the Eastern Jin dynasty continued the Han dynasty custom of making mingqi items to supply tombs with everything the deceased needed for the afterlife. Instead of creating full houses with courtyards and livestock pens. Yue potters adapted, simplified, and shrank livestock pens by creating shallow wheel thrown bowls and placing a single dog, goat, sheep or pig inside them.   

Physical Description:

A shallow basin with a flat bottom and gently curved sides, a slightly inverted direct rim, and a central sculpted bird with outstreached wings.  It is covered in a gray-green celadon glaze.

Usage Rights:

If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.