Basin
1685–1700
Classification
ceramics
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase from Charles E. Sampson Memorial Fund
Accession Number
2020-4-1
About this artwork
Chinese export blue and white deep bowl, or basin. The central scene of the interior is painted in deep underglaze blue with European court ladies standing on a terrace strewn with flowers, each holding a floral sprig to smell while a servant to one side bears a basket of more flowers. The exterior is decorated with freely painted with floral sprigs.
Art Historical Context
This exquisite blue-and-white porcelain basin, crafted in China around 1685–1700, exemplifies the artistry of the Kangxi period (1661–1722) in the Qing dynasty. As a deep bowl designed for export to Europe, its interior features a lively underglaze blue scene of elegant European court ladies on a flower-strewn terrace. Each delicately sniffs a floral sprig, attended by a servant carrying a basket of blooms, while the exterior blooms with freely painted floral motifs. Likely produced in Jingdezhen, the porcelain capital, this piece highlights cobalt-blue pigmentation fired at high temperatures ...