Jar with Winged Animals over Waves
The theme of winged animals, in this case a horse, an elephant, a mongoose, a fish, a rabbit, and two cervids, was most likely inspired by the extraordinary court-sponsored maritime expeditions of the early fifteenth century, in which a Chinese fleet, under the direction of Zheng He (1371–1433), reached the coast of Africa.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.