Punch Bowl

Chinese

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 774


China trade punch bowls like this one, known as hong bowls, present a continuous view of the houses of foreign trade built along the banks of the Pearl River at Canton (Guangzhou). The quayside buildings, called hongs or factories, feature flags that identify the merchants’ nationalities. The bird’s-eye (isometric) perspective of the harbor view is perfectly adapted to the large bowl, which it completely encircles.

Punch Bowl, Porcelain, Chinese

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