Subject: 親王 qīnwáng prince as military commander

Culture: Chinese

Setting: Ming empire, China 15-17thc

Object: 缾 píng bottle

Kimbell Art Museum *

"China, Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 Flat-Sided Flask Early 15th century Porcelain with cobalt oxide pigment under transparent glaze ...

This elegant porcelain of unusual form is a fine example of the technical and decorative excellence of Ming dynasty blue-and-white wares.

The flat-sided flask is known in bronze vessels dating to the sixth century B.C. in China, but the particular form of this vessel,

with its angled,

The flask was constructed from several pieces of molded clay that were joined before firing.

Its decoration features a medallion of radiating cloud-collar points that are filled with an abstract woven pattern;

at its center is a flower blossom in a depression. Geometric and floral scrolls, set in concentric bands around the sides of the vessel,

further emphasize the round shape. The density of the design is characteristic of early-fifteenth-century products of the Yongle (1403-24)