Platter depicting a map of the New World

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Artist/Maker Unknown artist

Dateunknown

MediumCeramic with glaze

DimensionsOverall: 14 9/16 × 14 9/16 in. × 1 in. (37 × 37 × 2.5 cm)

Credit LineGift of William G. Roehrick, Class of 1934, H1971, in Memory of Edward W. Root, Class of 1905, P1944

Object number1991.232

Not on view

DescriptionIn the the Song (960–1279) and Ming (1368–1644) dynasties, China’s maritime enterprise expanded through technological advances, such as the invention of the magnetic compass, and the efforts of admirals and diplomats such as Zheng He (c. 1371–1433). A Chinese Muslim whose father had made the hajj to Mecca, Zheng He commanded seven naval expeditions, the first of which lasted from 1405 to 1407. His voyages reached Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka, the Persian Gulf, Arabia, Egypt, and the east coast of Africa. Such explorations were integral to the broadening of China’s commercial networks. This plate features a foliate rim and molded designs that may have been based on, or intended to imitate, more expensive dishes made of silver. The interior bears an early representation of the outlines of North and South America and Antarctica. The depiction of the continents is similar to that on a number of European and Chinese maps of the fifteenth through the eighteenth century. (SOURCE: Alcauskas, INNOVATIVE APPROACHES, HONORED TRADITIONS, 2017)

Additional Details

Exhibition History 2017
Clinton, NY (Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art, Hamilton College). "Innovative Approaches, Honored Traditions: The Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art at Five Years, Highlights from the Permanent Collection," September 9 - December 10, 2017 (cat. no. 29, illus.);

2014
Clinton, NY (Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art, Hamilton College). "Find and Seek," September 2014 - August 28, 2015 (no catalog);

2012
Clinton, NY (Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art, Hamilton College). "Archive Hall: Art and Artifacts," October 6, 2012 - September 2014 (no catalog);

2011
Clinton, NY (Fred L. Emerson Gallery, Hamilton College). "Learning to Look: Hamilton's Cabinets, Galleries and Museums Past, Present and Future," September 15 - December 16, 2011 (no cat.).

Provenance 1991: Hamilton College (Fred L. Emerson Gallery), by gift of William G. Roehrick.

Published References Katherine D. Alcauskas, INNOVATIVE APPROACHES, HONORED TRADITIONS: THE RUTH AND ELMER WELLIN MUSEUM OF ART AT FIVE YEARS, HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION (Clinton, NY: Wellin Museum of Art, 2017), p. 78.