Clay: The body is a very fine clay, light gray in color, having many small air holes and very few inclusions. Hardness of the body approaches 7 on the Mohs Scale. A cross-section of the body where it has been cut with a diamond saw reveals a distinct layering in the clay body of the tile.
Glaze: The feldspathic, bubbly, translucent glaze covers the sides and top of the tile. The white background has no crackle. The inside of the tile shows uneven coverage of the clear glaze.
Decoration: The body is covered with a milky white slip onto which the cobalt-blue decoration has been painted and into which it has suffused. The underglaze cobalt-blue paint is of good quality. The design is Chinese in style and consists of a chrysanthemum scroll pattern. The leaves are solid strokes, not outlined. Petals are blue-tipped in the manner of 14th-Century Chinese wares with lotus flowers.
Marks: None.
Provenance:
To 1957
Abu Ridho, Jakarta, Indonesia. [1]
1957
John A. Pope (1906-1982), Washington DC, gift of Abu Ridho, Jakarta, Indonesia. [2]
From 1957
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of John A. Pope, Washington DC [3]
Notes:
[1] See object file, Collections Management Office.
