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Bowl

Yongzheng era, 1723-1735

China, Jiangxi Province

Porcelain painted with overglaze enamels (Jingdezhen ware)

H. 1 3/4 x Diam. 3 7/8 in. (4.4 x 9.8 cm)

Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.186

The delicate painting of two quail standing in a rocky landscape that decorates this small bowl illustrates the range and versatility of opaque overglaze enamel colors that were developed at the imperial kilns and factories at Jingdezhen during the reign of the Yongzheng emperor. The landscape on the bowl consists of elements (nandina, narcissus, rocks, and sacred fungus) that identify a theme that was often used for birthday greetings and New Year's wishes. As is often the case in Qing-dynasty porcelains, these wishes are combined with another auspicious theme: the paired quails can be read as a rebus for peace and prosperity. The combination of beautiful shapes, refined bodies, sophisticated colors, and elegant paintings that characterizes Qing-period porcelains helps explain the fascination with and desire for these ceramics in contemporary cultures in the West.