China, Jiangxi Province, Jingdezhen kilns, Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) / early 1300s
Fluted Cup with Dragon Handle
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Fluted Cup with Dragon Handle as ceramic (China, Jiangxi Province, Jingdezhen kilns, Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) · early 1300s).
Clay beading divides the cup's interior into six foliate panels with a six-petaled flower at the junction of the beaded lines.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this ceramic as Glazed porcelain, Qingbai (bluish-white) ware.
The museum's collection notes: Very thinly potted, the subtly lobed body of this cup is almost translucent. The thin, slightly opaque, light greenish glaze lends a sugary shine. Applied elements, including the handle, beaded borders, and sculptural floret, are constructed and glazed with the same materials as the body, providing a seamless blend of form and decorative embellishment. The result is an evocative reminder of slightly earlier silver cups, also created in the form of flowers. This pristine, natural construction is challenged, however, by the archaic dragon that acts as the handle. Borrowed from the decoration found on much earlier bronzes, this added form illust
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtFluted Cup with Dragon HandleOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.