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Door frame tile with elephant from the "Porcelain Pagoda"

ca. 1412–30
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 210
The tiles here are believed to have adorned the Da Bao’en Monastery tower, or “Porcelain Pagoda,” in Nanjing—a wonder of Buddhist architecture commissioned by Yongle, the second Ming emperor (reigned 1402–24). Nine stories tall and clad in colorful glazed tiles of exuberant form, the building became a symbol of early Ming splendor and the power, righteousness, and religious devotion of the ruling family.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 明　南京大報恩寺寳塔門框　象紋琉璃甎
  • Title: Door frame tile with elephant from the "Porcelain Pagoda"
  • Period: Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
  • Date: ca. 1412–30
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Glazed stoneware
  • Dimensions: H. 9 1/4 in. (23.5 cm); W. 12 7/8 in. (32.7 cm); D. 5 7/8 in. (14.9 cm)
  • Classification: Ceramics
  • Credit Line: Purchase by subscription, 1879
  • Object Number: 79.2.789
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

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Architectural tile with apsara, from the “Porcelain Pagoda”, Glazed stoneware, China
Architectural tile with apsara, from the “Porcelain Pagoda”
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Couplet, Zhou Lianggong Chinese, Pair of hanging scrolls; ink on paper, China
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Pipa (琵琶 ), Wood, ivory, bone, silk, Chinese
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Tile with Vajra from the Porcelain Pagoda, Glazed stoneware, China
Tile with Vajra from the Porcelain Pagoda
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early 15th century

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