Cleveland Museum of Art

Potter Seated with Double Gourd Vase

Date

1300s

Medium

Porcelain with underglaze decoration, qingbai ("blue-white") ware

Culture

China, Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) - Ming dynasty (1368-1644)

Department

Chinese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Made in South China, this figurine of a potter holding a double-gourd vase was probably once used as a toy. The coarse white porcelain form is covered with thin light greenish-blue, qingbai , glaze. The potter's cap and the coils on his shoulders are painted with blackish-brown ferruginous slip. The glaze stops short of the slightly recessed base, which is burnt a very light pinkish-buff color. The double gourd is traditionally regarded as a talisman that protected children against diseases.

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