The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 21, 2025

Dish with Bird on Fruit Tree Branch

1662–1722

China, Jiangxi province, Jingdezhen kilns, Qing dynasty

(1644–1911), Kangxi mark and reign (1662–1722)
Porcelain with famille-verte overglaze enamel decoration
Diameter: 20.7 cm (8 1/8 in.); Vessel: 2.5 cm (1 in.)
Severance and Greta Millikin Collection 1964.213
Location: 240A Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy

Did You Know?

This dish is related to the set created for the Kangxi emperor's 60th birthday.

Description

A green-winged, red-billed bird perches on a fruit tree branch. The dish is painted in bright enamels and fine outlines to create vibrant tones and delicate textures, especially visible in the bird’s feathers. The plant motif extends beyond the rim in what is known as an “over-the-wall” composition. While decorative, the composition and color scheme remain stylized rather than naturalistic. The existence of several Kangxi period dishes with an almost identical design suggests that the composition followed standardized templates, likely intended for festive occasions or as a gift.
  • ?–1960
    (Frank Caro [1904–1980], New York, NY, sold to Severance and Greta Millikin)
    1960–1964
    Severance A. [1895–1985] and Greta Millikin [1903–1989], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1964–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Catalogue of the Severance and Greta Millikin Collection. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1990. Mentioned: cat. no. 71, p. 73
    Cunningham, Michael R., Stanislaw J. Czuma, Anne E. Wardwell, and J. Keith Wilson. Masterworks of Asian Art. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1998. Mentioned and Reproduced: pp. 98–99
  • A Myriad of Flowers and Birds in Chinese Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 16, 2025-May 24, 2026).
    Object Lessons: Cleveland Creates an Art Museum. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 7-September 8, 1991).
    The Severance and Greta Millikin Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 5-September 2, 1990).
  • {{cite web|title=Dish with Bird on Fruit Tree Branch|url=false|author=|year=1662–1722|access-date=21 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1964.213