Water Receptacle

This simple footed dish has no surface decoration to detract from the gray-green color of the jade. As such, it resembles in approach the monochrome porcelains created during the reigns of the Yongzheng (1723-1735) and Qianlong (1736-1795) emperors. The shape and scale also relate closely to eighteenth-century monochrome porcelains made for use as water vessels on a scholar's table, and this resemblance provides a clue to the bowl's function.