Porcelain+bowl+with+Xiwangmu

Porcelain Bowl with Xiwangmu
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**//Identification//:** Country: China Artist: Unknown Period: Yongle Period (A.D. 1401-1424) Dynasty: Ming dynasty Diameter: 19.300 cm Height: 5.500 cm Current Location: The British Museum, London, England


 * //Introduction//:** During the Ming Dynasty, blue and white porcelain was perfected. Much of it was produced at Jingedezhen in the Jiangxi province. Hallow porcelain produced at that time usually had an undercut foot that sloped inward. The bowl with the goddess Xiwangmu fits these characteristics. This bowl is currently on display at the British Museum in London, England. It is composed of a blue under glaze which was very common during this period.


 * //Descriptive Analysis//:** During the fourteenth and fifteenth century, porcelain wares were typically white only, in the Yongle Period. While conveying a message or something symbolic, blue glaze is used to show detail and symbolism on each piece. Generally the blue under glaze appears in large masses. When applied in larger masses, a more broad brush is used. In this piece, blue glaze was used in detail to display a message about the Queen Mother of the West. In the piece displayed above, there is a scene with the "Queen Mother of the West" in her garden. The bowl is showing the Queen in her garden, and she is being accompanied by two women who are her personal maids. As you can see in the lower part of the bowl, one maid is holding a fan and fanning her, and the other is holding onto a basket. The basket that the maid is holding contains famous peaches which represent longevity, and come from a tree in her garden of paradise. The Queen lives in a beautiful setting in the Kunlun Mountains which is a very heavenly and beautiful place.

Women found a special relationship with the Queen Mother of the West. She was a guardian of female believers. She was royal. She dispensed prosperity, longevity, and eternal bliss. For these reasons, she often was referred to as "Devine Mother," "mother," "nanny" and "Amah".
 * //Format/Context//:** Xiwangmu has been referred to as "Queen Mother of the West." She was one of China's most popular goddesses, also one of the oldest. She was frequently shown holding court on Mount Kulun in western China. It is shown as a beautiful, perfect, and complete paradise that made a great area for communications between gods and humans. Xiwangmu almost always had a group of prominent goddesses around her, and is known to be the patron goddess of women. The Queen Mother of the West symbolized long lives in China. She used peaches as a tool to show her power of longevity. Peaches signify long life in China, therefore the people looked up to her when she is displayed with them in artworks, and when she shown serving them to the people. An orchard of peaches was said to be in her garden at the Kunlun Mountain, but the peaches are said to only blossom once in every three thousand years. The peaches would make guests immortal if Xiwangmu served to them.

It was reported that Xiwangmu met with many Chinese Rulers. Yu the Great was said to have studied under Xiwangu during the Xia Dynasty. During the Zhoa Dynasty there are stories that the mortal ruler King Mu had contact with Xiwangmu. The first emperor Qin Dynasty had the opportunity to attain greatness from Xiwangmu, but he wasted it. The Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Han Wudi and the Queen Mother met during his reign.
 * //Early Porcelain//:** Porcelain comes from ceramic or pottery that has been baked at high temperatures. The kiln must be heated to a temperature over 1200 degrees Celsius. The earliest porcelain may have originated in the Han Dynasty. It was made of kaolin and a coarse type of granite called pegmatite.

. The element of cobalt was used in the under glaze for the bright blue color, but it tended to bleed and spread. When the artist added the element of manganese, the blue was not as vivid but the lines were more crip and sharp. Perfecting the blue and white color took time. There were problems during the Yongle period with cloudy glazes and uneven cobalt blue as well. Sometimes the cobalt would burn in the kiln. As the artists skills improved and the processes were refined, the elegance of the porcelain improved.
 * //Ming Porcelain Production//:** The majority of porcelain produced in the early Ming Dynasty was made in Jingdezhen in the Jiangxi province. It was known as the "Pottery Capital" for the number of kilns found there. There were hundreds and hundreds of kilns. There were many new techniques introduced during the Ming Dynasty. There were new designs and shapes. There were new manufacturing processes for ceramics and porcelain. Along with bowls, other porcelain pieces included plates, vases, kettles, pots, and cups. They had complicated designs ranging from tangled tree branches to lotus flower ponds, mandarin ducks, seaweed, and clouds. New materials were also used


 * //Related Works//:**



1736-1795 Qing dynasty Qianlong Period Materials: porcelain with over glaze enamels Height: 19 1/2 in. Diam: 14 1/2 in.

Peaches are a symbol of immortality. This vase appears to be realistic, however, buds, blossoms, leaves and peaches would never be seen together in nature. Peaches are related to Xiwangmu. Her garden contains a tree that bears peaches every 3000 years. Once the fruit ripens, she invites immortals to share in eating the peach of eternal life.

Japan Edo Period AD 1804 Height: 1163 mm Width: 451 mm

Xiwangmu is shown to the left wearing a phoenix ornament in her hair and holding a peach. She is always associated with peaches that give immortal life. Often times, Xiwangmu is also associated with the phoenix, wearing it in her hair or on her clothing. The phoenix is also associated with immortal life. The phoenix, when it dies bursts into flames and is reborn from its ashes. Therefore, it is a never ending cycle causing the bird to live forever.



Japan Early Kyoho era AD 1716-36 Height: 1144 mm Width: 415 mm

Xiwangmu is identified by the phoenix in her hair as well as on her clothing along with the branch of peaches she carries with her. Both the phoenix and the peaches symbolize immortal life. She comes through the sky on a cloud on this scroll.

China Culture, History of Porcelain, [] This source provided information on the history of the production of porcelain.
 * //References//:**

Indianapolis Museum of Fine Art, Indianapolis, http://www.inamuseum.org/explore/artwork/586?highlight=195

James, Jean M., //An Iconographic Study of Xiwangmu During the Han Dynasty//, __Artibus Asiae__, Vol. 55, No. 1/2 (1995), pp. 17-41, Artibus Asiae Publishers

Encyclopedia Mythica, http: //www. pantheon.org/articles/x/xi_wang-mu.html This source provided the Calligraphy of Xiwangmu.//

//The British Museum (London), []//

//The British Museum (London), []//

//The British Museum (London), []//

//The British Museum (London), http://www.thebritishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highliht_objects/asia/c/chenghua_100_children_bowl.asps//

//The Asia Society, NY, http://www.asiasocietymuseum.org/region_object.asp?RegionID//

//S. Jenyns, Chinese art: the minor arts, vol. 2 (London, 1965)//

//Lang, Gordon. Millers Porcelain. Octopus Publishing Group Ltd. Great Britian, 2000.//

//Sandon, John. Antique Porcelain, World Copyright, 1997, England.This source provide information on the blue and white porcelain.//

//Enotes, Porcelain background, [] This source provided information porcelain production in the Jiangxi province//

The Aesthetics of Blue on White 9th-12th grade 2.5 Weeks (13 class periods) **Standards** – This lesson meets the following National Standards for Visual Art Education
 * Lesson 1 **
 * Art VA (9-12) CS 3, I: The students will examine different types of artwork and discuss their relationships culturally and historically.
 * Art VA (9-12) CS 4, II: The students will be able to evaluate the function and meaning behind specific art objects within different cultures.
 * Art VA (9-12) CS 4, III: The students will critically analyze the relationships between their work and that of their peers. They will be able to determine relationships between the groups of work both historically and aesthetically.
 * Art VA (9-12) CS 6, I: The students will be able to compare the use of materials and the processes of multiple arts disciplines as they are used in creation of like works.
 * Central Concepts **
 * Fusion – Comparing and contrasting the traits of eastern and western religious figures
 * History – The historical significance of porcelain, the function that it served, and how it was produced.
 * Aesthetics – The use of cobalt on porcelain
 * Production – The creation of a porcelain bowl
 * Teacher Preparation **
 * For this lesson plan, the teacher needs to make sure that they have access to the following materials.
 * A electric kiln
 * Porcelain clay body
 * A wedging table
 * Raw cobalt powder
 * Clear cone 04 glaze
 * White drawing paper (preferably Bristol board)
 * Blue ink
 * Pens with drawing nibs & fine brushes
 * The teacher needs to demonstrate the proper use and storage of each of these materials to the students as a whole so they understand how to use the materials.

__ Activity 1: The Goddess Xi Wangmu and the Virgin Mary (one class period) __ a) The teacher will present information about which focuses the Taoist Goddess Xi Wangmu and the Catholic Virgin Mary and how they are depicted in different mediums of art. b) The teacher will then break the students into 2 groups. One group to serve as the experts on the Virgin Mary, and the other group will serve as experts on the Goddess Xi Wangmu. After students are in groups, the teacher will lead a discussion in comparing and contrasting the traits of the Goddess Xi Wangmu with those of the Virgin Mary. Many of the works depicting the goddess will be porcelain pieces that have drawings done in cobalt under glaze. __ Activity 2: Creating a Cobalt Image, Part One (4 class periods) __ a) A presentation will be given showing the students a collection of art work done with blue on a white surface. The work will range from ink on paper to cobalt under glaze on porcelain. This presentation is meant to serve as inspiration to the students to work within this particular style. b) After this presentation the students will be given the task of creating a series of thumbnail sketches depicting their interpretation of Xi Wangmu or Mary. If the students wish to use some one other than these two religious figures they may chose to use either a famous person, or an important person in the student’s life. The students will be required to use traits of the Goddess Xi Wangmu and the Virgin Mary that were examined during the first activity. c) Once the students have created their thumbnail sketches (minimum of five) the students will have to create a nine by twelve inches drawing of one of their thumbnails using blue ink on white paper. __ Activity 3: Porcelain and History (1 class period) __ a) A brief presentation will be shown to the students discussing the history of the production of porcelain clay body, its use through the different dynasties in China, and its expansion westward into Europe through trade. Many types of pieces that were traded westard to countries in europe were pieces like kitchen ware, vases, and statuary. b) A demonstration will be performed by the teacher showing the students how to construct a bowl out made out of clay without using a pottery wheel. The students will be shown how to hand build bowls through the pinch pot method as well as the various slab techniques involving porcelain clay body. c) A technique that will be show to the students is how to incorporate cobalt into the porcelain clay body. __ Activity 4: Creating a Cobalt Image, Part Two (7 class periods) __ a) The class is going to move from the 2 dimensional to the 3 dimensional side of visual art. The students will create a bowl that will incorporate the use of cobalt in its construction. The reason for creating a bowl is due to the fact that the bowl is such a symbol and staple within the home not just in eastern cultures but in the west as well. The use of cobalt does not have to be restricted to representational imagery, it can also be used to create texture on a new surface. b) The bowls will be fired twice. The first firing will bring out the cobalt in the clay body if the student decided to wedge cobalt powder into the porcelain. c) After the first firing the students will clear glaze their bowls with a cone 04 low fire clear glaze to seal the clay body surface for domestic use. This firing will finalize the piece. The assessement of this lesson will be done in three parts the first assessment will take place after activity 2 in which the assessment will focus on the drawing aspect of lesson. The second part of the assessment will be done after the students have finished the hand building the bowl but before it is fired. The third part of the assessemnt will take place after the critique when the bowl has been finished.  Students will be graded on participation in all four activities. The students must present both their nine by twelve drawing and the bowl for a critique after the final firing.  The drawing will be graded on the following.  a) Did the student use traits that were discussed in activity one? b) Does the subject matter reflect that of the images used in activity one? c) Its use in balancing the weight of positive and negative space? d) Did the student present the subject matter in a creative way? e) Was the student successful according to their vision for the piece at the beginning of the activity? The bowl will be graded on the following. a) Did the student create bowl? b) Did the student use cobalt within the aforementioned techniques in activity three? c) Does this bowl have a purpose? d) How creative was the student in their choice of bowl, foot, and use of cobalt slip? e) Was the student successful according to their vision for the piece at the beginning of the activity?
 * What poses are each of these figures usually depicted in?
 * Are the figures portrayed within narratives?
 * If so what narratives can these figures be found in?
 * Prompt all students response with images in power point presentation.
 * Dynasties known for their porcelain wares.
 * The function that the porcelain wares served in the different cultures.
 * The temperatures at which porcelain is fired at.
 * Porcelain in other countries and cultures.
 * Think about what use this bowl will have this idea will greatly influence the construction of the bowl.
 * Cobalt powder wedged into the clay body to create marbling
 * Cobalt slip trailing
 * The firing process and the final glazing will overlap into lesson # 2 time slot this is fine because the firing schedule is controlled by the teacher.
 * Assessment **