The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 20, 2025

Dish with Landscape and Inscription

1662–1722

China, Qing dynasty

(1644-1911), Kangxi period (1662-1722)
porcelain, underglaze cobalt-blue decoration
Overall: 12.3 cm (4 13/16 in.)
The A. W. Ellenberger, Sr., Endowment Fund 2019.176
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

There is an apocryphal inscription on the bottom of the dish.

Description

The river scene, composed of two shores divided by waterafter the Yuan dynasty master Ni Zan is inscribed: What shall I present the gentleman with? A picture of the Xiang River. A tributary of the Yangzi in Hunan province, the Xiang River is associated with Chinese literature and history, such as the Xiang goddesses, loyal consorts of emperor Shun. They are mentioned in the ancient Songs of the South (Chuci), known for staining the bamboo along the Xiang River with their tears when they thought him lost in the floods. The dish may have been a gift between two departing friends or for a couple.
  • 4 November 2003
    (Christie’s Amsterdam, Netherlands, 4 November 2003, lot 17, sold to a Dutch private collection)
    2003–2019?
    A Dutch private collection
    2019
    (Feng-Chun Ma Chinese & Japanese Art Consultancy, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    2019–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Christie's Amsterdam. Chinese and Japanese Ceramics and Works of Art. 4 November 2003. Reproduced: p. 4, Lot 17
    Griswold, William, Xiaofei Tian, Richard Von Glahn, Feng Zhao, S. J. Vainker, Masaaki Itakura, Jiang Wu, et al. China’s Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta. Edited by Clarissa Von Spee. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2023. Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 317, no. 156; Reproduced: p. 19
  • China’s Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 10, 2023-January 7, 2024).
    China through the Magnifying Glass: Masterpieces in Miniature and Detail. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 11, 2022-February 26, 2023).
  • {{cite web|title=Dish with Landscape and Inscription|url=false|author=|year=1662–1722|access-date=20 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2019.176