Page 48 - Kraak Porcelain, Jorge Welsh

25 Pomegranate-shaped
ewer
Ming dynasty, Wanli period
( - ), ca. -
Chinese porcelain decorated
in underglaze cobalt blue
Height: cm; width cm
A finely and thinly potted ewer modelled with a globular
body moulded in the form of a pomegranate with six
lobed vertical panels, a tall slightly tapering neck rising prototypes. Compare, for instance, the upper body of an
to a six pointed star-shaped mouth rim and a slender,
long spout curved at the end applied with seven realistic
curling leafy branches moulded in relief that terminate
on the globular body. It is painted in two contrasting
shades of cobalt blue, beneath a white glaze with a
bluish tinge. The body is decorated with a ruyi-head tied
with ribbons below the spout and various blossoming
flowers around the body, all below a narrow band of key-
fret at the shoulder and framed by thin blue lines. The
tapering neck is painted with a bird perched on a rock
beside long grasses and flower sprays, framed above and
below by thin double blue lines. The underside of the
star-shaped mouth rim is decorated with small pending
leaves and is edged in blue. The slender spout and the
relief leaf branches are painted with pencilled blue lines. and washes of paint with various alternating motifs,
The slightly recessed base is fully glazed and the rounded
foot ring is unglazed.
This fragile and elegantly shaped ewer belongs to a
special group of kraak pouring vessels that first appeared
in the Wanli period ( - ). This ewer is thinly
potted, in contrast to heavier kendis, double-gourd and
pear-shaped bottles. It is modelled with a globular body
with relief-moulded panelled sides and slender, long
spout curved at the end. To some extent, the shape of
the ewer resembles that of Jiajing period ( - )
ewers, which in turn derive from Middle Eastern metal
aubergine glazed example with gold kinrande decoration
in the Baur Collection in Geneva. The relief-moulded
curling leafy branches and star-shaped mouth rim,
however, appear to be unique features. This type of ewer,
most likely because of its globular body and star-shaped
mouth rim, became popularly known as a ‘pomegranate
ewer’. In China the pomegranate (shi-liu), which is full
of seeds, symbolises fertility.
Ewers of this form have globular bodies typically
moulded with six lobed vertical panels of similar size,
though examples with plain bodies also occur. These
panels, separated by thin double blue lines following
the moulded pattern, are finely painted with thin lines
including blossoming flowers, water plants, rocks,
insects, auspicious symbols or ruyi-heads tied with
ribbons, diaper patterns and figures. Examples can be
found in the Princessehof Museum in Leeuwarden (inv.
no. ), the Groninger Museum in Groningen (inv. no.
- - ), the Bell Collection at the Gardiner Museum
of Ceramic Art in Toronto (inv. no. . . ), the British
Museum in London (inv. no. . ), the Musée
Guimet (Grandidier Collection, inv. no. . ) and
the F. Lugt Collection at the Fondation Custodia, Institut
Néerlandais (inv. no. ), both in Paris.
Some ewers are decorated around the body with a