Dish with peaches and bats

China

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 221

The use of gold nanoparticles to create a pink color was a chemical process introduced to Guangzhou artisans by Europeans in the early eighteenth century. By 1716, skilled enamelers were requisitioned to work at the imperial workshops, where this new color was deployed onto ceramic and metal surfaces for courtly consumption. In a technique more usual for glaze application, the enameler has sprayed this pink enamel to create a naturalistic sense of ripening peaches.

Dish with peaches and bats, Porcelain painted in overglaze polychrome enamels (Jingdezhen ware), 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.