Bowl

Xuande era, 1426-1435

China, Jiangxi Province

Porcelain painted with underglaze cobalt blue (Jingdezhen ware)

H. 3 1/2 x Diam. 10 1/2 in. (8.9 x 26.7 cm)

Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.164

The Xuande era (1426 - 1435) saw the development of themes that reflect the interests of the scholar-gentleman class. For example, the imagery painted on the side of this large, shallow bowl represents the Four Gentlemanly Accomplishments: calligraphy, painting, music, and chess. On the bowl, they are practiced by figures in a garden set against a background of distant mountains that skillfully suggests the view from a terrace. Each of the accomplishments is presented as a vignette within the overall composition, with plants, rocks, and trees separating the scenes from one another. Although the theme reflects the activities of the educated male elite, the clothing and hairstyles of the figures here indicate that they are women -- which gives an unusual twist to this standard theme. The six-character Xuande reign mark is written on the base of the bowl.