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Round plate with design of lotus and water plants
Round plate with design of lotus and water plants

Round plate with design of lotus and water plants

Place of OriginJingdezhen, Jiangxi province, China
Date1736-1795
DynastyQing dynasty (1644-1911), Reign of the Qianlong emperor (1736-1795)
MaterialsPorcelain with blue decoration under yellow glaze
DimensionsH. 1 3/4 in x Diam. 8 3/8 in, H. 4.4 cm x Diam. 21.3 cm
Credit LineThe Avery Brundage Collection
Object numberB60P1675
DepartmentChinese Art
ClassificationsCeramics
On View
On view
LocationLoggia 6
MarkingsQianlong mark and underglaze blue six-character mark in two columns
More Information

Underglaze Red and Underglaze Blue, with Overglaze Multicolor Decoration

Just as cobalt was used to achieve underglaze blue decorations, copper was fired to achieve a red color. In the 1700s, ceramics decorated with what was considered to be the best red—a clear, bright shade of the color— were made at the imperially supervised kilns.

This case displays the combination of underglaze and overglaze decoration used in the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties known as the doucai (“competing colors”) technique, in which blue underglaze outlines are filled in with overglaze multicolor enamels.