Artwork Page for Bulb Bowl

Details / Information for Bulb Bowl

Bulb Bowl

early 1400s

China, Henan Province, Yuxian, Juntai, Ming dynasty

(1368–1644)
Medium
porcelaneous stoneware, numbered Jun ware
Measurements
Diameter: 23.5 cm (9 1/4 in.); Overall: 8 cm (3 1/8 in.)
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 1957.33
Public Domain
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Location
238 Chinese Ceramics
Print

Description

Numbered Jun ware is inscribed with a number on its bottom—in this case number "two"—and is thought to have been made initially for the early Ming imperial court. The number indicates size, with "one" being the largest and "ten" being the smallest. Another characteristic is the "earthworm trail" left on the glaze surface, seen on the interior of this bulb bowl, where the opalescent blue glaze has cracked in several places during firing. The rich purplish tone on the exterior is the result of using copper pigment in the glaze.
A shallow, blossom-like stoneware bowl rests on three short, curved feet. The undulating rim forms six wide petals that transition into subtle vertical ridges down the exterior. Mottled shades of deep purple and reddish-brown coat the outside, while the interior shifts from a clouded, pale blue to light gray at the rim. The entire vessel features a smooth, glossy finish that accentuates its graceful, lobed shape.

Bulb Bowl

early 1400s

China, Henan Province, Yuxian, Juntai, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)

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