Lidded box

1127-1279

Small porcelain boxes were made in every kiln and exhibit a great variety in form and decoration. Some carry the names of the proud family workshops on their bases. Several hundred qingbai boxes have been found in Japan, and date mostly to the Song period. They were often entombed with Buddhist sutras, which may imply a special religious significance. Many of them appear to have been made in kilns in southern coastal regions of Fujian and Guangdong provinces, revealing the important role they played in the Chinese ceramics trade.

Jingdezhen qingbai ware (porcelain with light bluish-toned glaze and molded decoration)

2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm), diameter

Thomas D. Stimson Memorial Collection

45.78

Photo: Paul Macapia

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, "Porcelain Stories: From China to Europe", February 17, 2000-May 7, 2000 (2/17/2000 - 5/7/2000)

Published ReferencesFinlay, Robert. "The Pilgrim Art: Cultures of Porcelain in World History". Berkeley, Los Angeles and London: University of California Press, 2010, illustrated pl. 12

Emerson, Julie, Jennifer Chen, & Mimi Gardner Gates, "Porcelain Stories, From China to Europe", Seattle Art Museum, 2000, pg. 77

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