Jar with geometric pattern
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Porcelain painted in overglaze polychrome enamels (Bencharong ware)
Dimensions
H. 7 3/8 in. (18.7 cm); Diam. 8 1/4 in. (21 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
China · Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Avery Fund, 1909
Accession Number
09.70.70
Art Historical Context
This elegant jar, adorned with intricate geometric patterns, exemplifies the exquisite porcelain artistry of China's Qing dynasty (1644–1911), crafted in the 19th by an unknown artist. Standing at 7 3/8 inches tall 8 1/4 inches in diameter it belongs to the rare Bencharong ware tradition—porcelain produced in Jingdezhen kilns specifically for export to Thailand. The term "Bencharong," "five colors" in Thai, highlights its hallmark use of vibrant overglaze polychrome enamels in reds, blues, greens, yellows, and whites, applied after the initial high-fired glaze for luminous, jewel-like effects....