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Source Description
This jar painted in underglaze cobalt blue depicts three bounding lions among the waving tassels of brocaded balls. Lions are Buddhist guardians and are often portrayed as they are here playing with a ball or ribbons. The jar has a bulbous body with high shoulders, waisted sides, and spread foot. Its neck is decorated with varied Buddhist and Taoist emblems wrapped with fillets. The Conch is one of eight Buddhist Emblems, the Artemisia Leaf and the Pair of Books are two of the Eight Buddhist Treasures, and the kuai ban (bamboo or bone clappers) is a Taoist emblem of the Immortal and patron of actors Cao Guo Jiu. Buddhist and Taoist imagery could often be combined on one vessel, and indication that the two religions were practiced together. The lid of the jar, with flared rim and radish shaped knob, is painted with cranes amid scrolling clouds.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
5698
label
Jar with Three Lions Playing with Balls and Ribbons
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
3
Source metadata
id
5698
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Jar with Three Lions Playing with Balls and Ribbons
description
This jar painted in underglaze cobalt blue depicts three bounding lions among the waving tassels of brocaded balls. Lions are Buddhist guardians and are often portrayed as they are here playing with a ball or ribbons. The jar has a bulbous body with high shoulders, waisted sides, and spread foot. Its neck is decorated with varied Buddhist and Taoist emblems wrapped with fillets. The Conch is one of eight Buddhist Emblems, the Artemisia Leaf and the Pair of Books are two of the Eight Buddhist Treasures, and the kuai ban (bamboo or bone clappers) is a Taoist emblem of the Immortal and patron of actors Cao Guo Jiu. Buddhist and Taoist imagery could often be combined on one vessel, and indication that the two religions were practiced together. The lid of the jar, with flared rim and radish shaped knob, is painted with cranes amid scrolling clouds.
provenance
William T. Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; inherited by Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1894; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.
date
1662-1722
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
jars
lids
imageCount
3
pageCount
3
source
import
dimensionsRaw
H: 16 1/2 in. (41.9 cm)
Source extras
dynasty
Qing Dynasty
reign
Kangxi (1662-1722)
med
porcelain with underglaze blue
creator_ids
6238
collection_ids
CHN
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
3bf6885be1a5c852
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
9fe79322e8411647
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
4f6575348d98fde5
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no