Important Art Object
Gourd-shaped Bottle with a design of floral sprays
Data
| Artist | Jingdezhen ware |
|---|---|
| Period | China, Ming dynasty, 16th century |
| Materials and techniques | Porcelain with overglaze enamels and gold; Kinran-de style |
| Size | H.26.3 MD.3.5 D.12.0 BD.8.5 |
Explanation
Kinrande-style ware was produced during the Jiajing reign period (1522–66), considered the "golden age" of polychrome porcelain in China. Extant gourd-shaped bottles are comparatively numerous in number and come in many sizes and forms, including ones like this with the upper half round and the bottom half square, however few are decorated with such delicate designs. The bottle has a ground covered in intricate geometric patterns of shippō (overlapping circles) and kagome (basket weave), and areas with a red ground are decorated with motifs in cut gold leaf.