blue and white Imperial porcelain; inverted bell shape; continuous landscape scene of mountainous river landscape with houses obscured behind willow on surface; medallion of a single fisherman beside a cliff at center of the interior

Beaker Cup, Kangxi period, 1662-1722

Unknown artist, expand_more
Not on Viewexpand_more

This diminutive imperial cup is exquisitely painted with a continuous landscape scene. Inspired by the orthodox painting styles of the day, the porcelain artisan responsible for this fine work has exercised exceptional control of the underglaze blue in creating an amazingly detailed miniature landscape. Foreground and distant mountains are depicted with heavy texture strokes and light washes respectively in a manner similar to ink painting on paper or silk. Willow trees, a small village, a mountain temple, a scholar's hut and a broad river with a band of mist rising above it complete the scene.

While pictorial scenes in underglaze blue-and-white were not an invention of the Kang-hsi period, imperial artisans working at that time refined their landscape depictions in underglaze blue to a point never before realized. The interior base of the cup depicts a rock garden with a bonsai plant growing in a rectangular basin.

Details
Title
Beaker Cup
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2004.86.3
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know

Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.

blue and white Imperial porcelain; inverted bell shape; continuous landscape scene of mountainous river landscape with houses obscured behind willow on surface; medallion of a single fisherman beside a cliff at center of the interior