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Basin with turtles and fish

14th century
Not on view
The design of this vessel reflects the fourteenth-century antiquarian taste. This type of water basin can be traced back to the Shang dynasty (ca. 1600–1046 B.C.), but the vessel’s design is based on a woodblock illustration in the 12th-century Xuanhe Bogutu, a catalogue of Song-dynasty imperial collection. The design of turtles and fish allude to the legend of a turtle that emerged from the Luo River bearing a divine book on its carapace. The vessel most likely functioned as a decorative piece in a scholar’s study meant to demonstrate the owner’s appreciation for antiquity.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Basin with turtles and fish
  • Artist: Unidentified Artist, Chinese, 14th century
  • Period: Yuan (1271–1368) to early Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
  • Date: 14th century
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: H. 6 5/8 in. (16.8 cm); Diam. of rim 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm); Diam. of foot 6 1/8 in. (15.6 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork
  • Credit Line: Gift of Jane Safer, 2018
  • Object Number: 2018.851.1a–c
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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