Chinese Vessel

This past weekend, I decided to take a walk along 4th ave when I stumbled across a thrift store. I decided to go in and explore to find out if they had any Asian art or artifacts. Soon, I discovered this vessel on one of the shelves of the store. It struck me as with its white and blue ornamentation, very common in Chinese ceramics and pottery. 

The Lotus flower painted on the vessel

After a closer look, I observed that there were several common objects painted on the vessel that would suggest it is made in China. Firstly, blue and white ceramic were introduced during the Ming Dynasty. During the 16th and 18th century they began to be more refined, polished, glazed and "chicken motifs" started to emerge on the vessels. They were commonly found in Asian markets around the southern parts of China, where most of the factories were sited. The vessel I found is no different, several motifs are also present. The first one I noticed was the Lotus flower. In China, the Lotus flower is a symbol of purity and growth, much like how the flower itself naturally blossoms out of the mud. It is often related to Buddism as it related to the purity of heart and mind. 

Another motif I found related to the "chicken motifs" in most vessels of the Ming dynasty is the mandarin duck. Since there are coupled, it is a symbol of eternal love between two people. It is also a symbol of marriage and mutual love. 

Mandarin Ducks painted on the Vessel

Finding this vessel made me more curious about why they were created in the first place? Were they for royals or just the common people? I also wondered whether these vessels appeared in similar cultures such as Japan or Korea, or if they have different adaptations. 


Refferences:

https://www.britannica.com/art/Chinese-pottery/The-Ming-dynasty-1368-1644