Preview
Credit Line
Bequest of David P. Harris ('46), 2020
Accession Number
2020.59
Description
"The plate is of circular form with a chalk white underlay and a contrasting indigo present in the designs and thin outline of the dish. There is great symmetry around the plate as it is adorned with vined plants and stick-like figures which alternate in placement. However, the middle of the dish is occupied by one stick figure positioned in profile enclosed in an indigo circle. The vines are thinly drawn with small petals extending from the curving stem which give them a delicate appearance. It can be discerned that the figures are non-human or a mere stylization of the human figure. Their faces possess an abstract structure with a large nose or snout and their unproportionally long arms consist of harsh lines and curves which create the appearance of a stick or branch. What can be identified as a hand appears to be very flat with little to no insight into fingers or bone structure, its upward curvature moreso resembling a leaf. The legs are also quite thin containing small oval protrusions which serve as the feet. Their attire is a dress that is designed with accessories that look like chains which hang off the side. They also wear bracelets placed on the upper and lower sections of their arms as well as a headpiece which looks like a feather. As for the condition of this dish, there are some slight signs of age and wear in the upper quadrant of the plate where the white background has been chipped away. This could be due to the age of the object or the impacts of the exporting process which this item went through. The artist of this piece drew the arms in such a way so that their curvature and harsh etchings imply that they are in motion rather than in a stagnant state. The middle figure can also be seen with one foot at a higher position than the other, reiterating that there is movement taking place within this artwork. This motion takes the eyes of the viewer on a clockwise journey around the plate, finally focusing on the middle figure as their right arms extend towards the posterior of the figure next to them."
~Excerpt from a final paper for ARHS 114 Introduction to Asian Art (SP 2022), written by Ella Haskins.