Skip to Content
Closed today, next open tomorrow. Closed today, next open tomorrow.

  • Mon 11–5
  • Tue–Wed Closed
  • Thu 11–8
  • Fri–Sun 11–5
  • Members: the first hour of every day, 10–11 a.m., is reserved for member–only viewing.

Pair of Teabowls with Bamboo

A work made of porcelain painted in underglaze blue and overglaze enamels (doucai).
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • A work made of porcelain painted in underglaze blue and overglaze enamels (doucai).

Date:

Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Yongzheng reign mark and period (1723–1735)

Artist:

China

About this artwork

These eggshell-thin bowls represent an exquisite example of the technique known as doucai (dovetailing or contending colors), in which underglaze-blue outlines are partly filled with overglaze enamel colors. Outlines of bamboo were painted in cobalt and covered with a transparent glaze before firing. The leaves were then colored with pale green, yellow, and red enamels, and the bowls refired at a lower temperature.

Bamboo, which remains green throughout the year and whose hollow stems bend without breaking, has traditionally been viewed in China as a poignant image of human resilience. The elegant depiction of nature on these teabowls was undoubtedly inspired by China’s long tradition of bamboo paintings on silk and paper.

Status

On View, Gallery 134

Department

Arts of Asia

Title

Pair of Teabowls with Bamboo

Place

China (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1723–1735

Medium

Porcelain painted in underglaze blue and overglaze enamels (doucai)

Dimensions

Diam.: 9.5 cm (3 3/4 in.); Each: H.: 4.4 cm (1 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Bequest of Henry C. Schwab

Reference Number

1941.551a-b

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/42029/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.
Learn more

Image actions

Share

Suggested Terms