Wine pot with figures in a landscape

China

Not on view

While lacquer on metal is an aspect of the revival of metalworking in China during the seventeenth century, the combination of thin, tinted pieces of mother-of-pearl with gold foil derives from refinements in lacquer technology that can be dated somewhat earlier, to the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. An inscription on the base of this pot indicates that it was produced by, or under the supervision of, an artist named Shang Yiliang. Although details of his identity remain unclear, Shang is one of a handful of metal artists who signed their works. It is reasonable to assume that his work was well regarded, and probably collected, during his lifetime.

Wine pot with figures in a landscape, Gold lacquer over pewter, inlaid with mother-of-pearl, China

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.