Shanghai Museum: Ancient Chinese Ceramics Gallery
- < L Double-ear celadon jar with Lattice Pattern; Changsha Ware, Tang (AD 618- 907); R > Foliated Dish, Ge Ware, Yuan (AD 1271- 1368)
- Color-twisted pottery bowl (L) and Pillow (R); Tang (AD 618- 907)
In the Shanghai Museum’s Ancient Chinese Ceramics Gallery the diversity and brilliance of colour, mark and form were inspiring. I enjoyed the very simply decorated objects that still retained traces of the craftsman’s hand and the nature of the materials.
- Vase with reserved underglaze red design of Figures; Jingdenzhen Ware, Hongwu Reign (AD 1368 – 1398) Ming, Shanghai Museum Collection. Featuring the ‘Coin’ pattern
- Bean green glazed vase with ‘Eight Diagrams’ pattern; Jingdenzhen Ware, Xuantong Reign (AD 1909 – 1911) Qing, Shanghai Museum Collection. Assigned the following Natures (top Left to Right ) The Wind; Heaven; Fire (Lightning and the Sun); Water (in Rain and Clouds); The Earth; The Mountain; Water Collected (Lakes etc); and Thunder
There is much speculation about the origin of The Eight Diagrams or bãgùa depicted on the green vase (pictured above). These signs were said to have derived from the markings on the shell of a tortoise by Emperor Fu Yi. Other thought suggests that they originate from the two primary forms yángyì (represented by the unbroken horizontal line) and yînyì (broken line); embodying male and female respectively. They represent the evolution of nature and its constant state of change through cycles. The signs are usually arranged in a circle around the yîn and yang, but on this vase they are arranged in a rectilinear format.
See Horeur de vide post for more beautiful objects with Daiper Patterns from the Shanghai Museum’s Ancient Chinese Ceramics Collection.
The Shanghai Museum posts are dedicated to Rachel Kelloway; my oldest and dearest friend.
beautiful! x