Lidded jar with design of a lotus pond

This porcelain jar was made for the Jiajing emperor (1522–1566) at the imperial workshop of Jingdezhen in southeastern China. Used to hold wine or food, vessels with robust forms remained a product of official kilns for three hundred years.

Potters at the imperial shop were skilled at controlling the extensive process of preparing the clay for forming and firing. To enrich the color and design, the potters achieved new glaze formulas, mixing finely ground minerals such as iron and cobalt to create seven bright hues. This vessel’s large scale and lavish depictions of complex subjects demonstrate various innovative decorative methods in working with porcelain.

The jar’s decorative motifs incorporate auspicious symbols that reflect the Jiajing emperor’s fascination with fish and aquatic plants. Inspired by the lotus pond, the imagery draws upon symbolic meaning and homophonic puns associated with immortality, eternal prosperity, and fertility.