Jar

Late 14th century

China, Jiangxi Province

Porcelain with underglaze copper red (Jingdezhen ware)

H. 20 x Diam. 16 3/4 in. (50.8 x 42.5 cm)

Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.153

Provenance

John D. Rockefeller 3rd, New York, NY; acquired from Albert Y.P. Lee, Montreal, Canada in 1970.

The Asia Society, New York, NY, bequest of John D. Rockefeller 3rd, New York, NY, 1979.

Licensing inquiries

This large jar in the guan shape provides an outstanding example of late-14th century porcelain painted with a copper-red pigment. The red color of the underglaze copper pigment is notoriously difficult to achieve during firing, and pieces decorated exclusively with this color are scarcer than the well-known blue-and-white types. This jar, which once had a cover and a slightly longer neck, was probably used for storage. The central section of the jar is painted with a traditional Chinese theme called the Three Friends of Winter (suihan sanyou): the pine, plum, and bamboo, which flourish under adverse conditions and are symbols of longevity, perseverance, and integrity, the virtues of the ideal scholar-gentleman. The camellias, roses, plantains, and strangely shaped Taihu rocks on the jar indicate that the Three Friends are growing within the confines of a traditional scholar-gentleman's garden. The high quality of the painting on this jar and its large size indicate that it was an expensive item, probably made for a wealthy scholar-gentleman or possibly for the court.