Harvard Art Museums > 1946.2: Vase in the Form of an Archaic Bronze 'Fanghu' Jar Vessels Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Vase in the Form of an Archaic Bronze 'Fanghu' Jar , 1946.2,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Nov 14, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/203872. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Gallery Text Chinese ceramic wares made in Song dynasty (960–1279) court taste are esteemed for their refined forms, subtle decoration, and soft, muted glaze colors. Buoyed by national peace, economic prosperity, and the rise of a highly educated civil official class, local ceramics industries throughout China began to thrive and innovate at unprecedented levels. Kilns seeking to supply household wares to their highly cultured clientele often created pieces that were reminiscent of other precious items. For example, northern Ding wares, with their decorative designs and thin bodies, were often compared to silverwork, while the thick green glazes coating southern Longquan wares brought carved jades to mind. Although natural forms were popular, like those inspired by flower blossoms, government officials, who had attained their positions through long study of ancient texts and history, were especially drawn to ceramics that resembled the bronzes and jades of antiquity. Courtly taste in China would change drastically after the Song, shifting toward brightly decorated blue-and-white porcelains, invented at Jingdezhen in the fourteenth century and manufactured at the same kilns that produced the delicate blue-tinged white wares known as qingbai. Identification and Creation Object Number 1946.2 Title Vase in the Form of an Archaic Bronze 'Fanghu' Jar Classification Vessels Work Type vessel Date probably Ming dynasty, late 16th - early 17th century Places Creation Place: East Asia, China, Jiangxi province, Jingdezhen Period Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 Culture Chinese Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/203872 Physical Descriptions Medium 'Guan'-type ware: porcelain with thick grayish blue glaze over molded decoration; with inscription of the Qianlong Emperor dated to 1783 incised into the base Dimensions H. 20.1 x W. 16.5 x D. 12.3 cm (7 15/16 x 6 1/2 x 4 13/16 in.) Inscriptions and Marks inscription: Inscription of the Ch'ien-lung emperor dated to 1783 incised into the base. Provenance Recorded Ownership History Mrs. Warfield Longcope, Baltimore, MD (by 1946), gift; to Fogg Art Museum, 1946. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Mrs. Warfield Longcope in honor of the grandsons of Paul Dana, Class of 1874 Accession Year 1946 Object Number 1946.2 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Exhibition History Masterworks of East Asian Painting, Harvard University Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 11/03/1995 - 06/09/1996 Plum, Orchid, Chrysanthemum, and Bamboo: Botanical Motifs and Symbols in East Asian Painting, Harvard University Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 07/06/2002 - 01/05/2003 Rocks, Mountains, Landscapes and Gardens: The Essence of East Asian Painting ('04), Harvard University Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 01/31/2004 - 08/01/2004 A Compelling Legacy: Masterworks of East Asian Painting, Harvard University Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 08/24/2004 - 03/20/2005 Forging the New: East Asian Painting in the Twentieth Century, Harvard University Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 05/03/2005 - 10/16/2005 Downtime, Harvard University Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 04/28/2007 - 04/20/2008 Re-View: S228-230 Arts of Asia, Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 05/31/2008 - 06/01/2013 32Q: 2600 East Asian, Japanese, Chinese and Korean, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/16/2014 - 01/13/2020 Subjects and Contexts Google Art Project Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu