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Bowl with Dog

Chinese

Artwork Details

Bowl with Dog
317-439
Chinese
glaze on stoneware
1 7/8 in x 5 in x 5 in (4.76 cm x 12.7 cm x 12.7 cm)
Gift of Ping and Zenobia Lee
2005/2.84

Description

Subject Matter:

A shallow celadon mingqi (明器) (literally "bright objects") bowl with a dog, 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 flat bottom and gently curved sides, a slightly inverted direct rim, and a single reclining dog sculpted in the center of the base.  It is covered in a gray-green celadon glaze.

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