Water coupe in prunus branch shape

late 17th-18th century

Yixing ware is known for its distinctive purplish color and for its close connection to the Chinese literati class who admired the characteristic color, texture and rich variety of shapes. Adopting the naturalistic structure of a gnarled prunus branch embellished with plum blossoms, this water cup unites function with an elegant, and symbolic, form.

Red-brown stoneware

1 3/4 x 2 1/4 x 5 3/4 in. (4.45 x 5.72 x 14.6cm)

Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection

49.110

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistoryPrinceton, New Jersey, Princeton University Art Museum, The Embodied Image: Chinese Calligraphy from the John B. Elliott Collection, Feb. 8 - June 15, 2001 (Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum).

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Glaze, Pattern and Image: Decoration in Chinese Ceramics, Sept. 7 - Nov. 19, 2002.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Live Long and Prosper: Auspicious Motifs in East Asian Art, May 23, 2009 - Feb. 21, 2010.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Pure Amusements: Wealth, Leisure, and Culture in Late Imperial China, Dec. 24, 2016 - May 15, 2022.

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