Yuezhou: Vessel

CHINA, Zhejiang, Ningbo; Western Jin dynasty

This celadon vessel was created in the ancient site of Yuezhou kilns near Shanglin Lake in Ningbo during the Western Jin dynasty. It is in a yellowish celadon glaze with darker brown specks beneath.
The vessel is in the form of a slightly flattened sphere on a wide base. It has a narrow shoulder and a wide mouth, and is plain, apart from a pattern on its shoulder: there are two rows of circles with a wide diamond pattern in between. There is a small handle on either side of the vessel, and an image of a seated Buddha with a nimbus halfway between each handle.
The vessel’s design is simple and elegant, and it is an early example of the use of a Buddha image in China.