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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.).
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.
Yun-Fei Ji
Date: 2015
Medium: Ink and watercolor on Xuan paper, mounted on silk
Object number: 2016.3.1
Unknown artist, Chinese
Date: c. 960-1279
Medium: Ceramic with black glaze
Object number: 2016.6.2
Yun-Fei Ji
Date: 2014
Medium: Ink and watercolor on Xuan paper, mounted on silk
Object number: 2016.3.2
Date: c. 760 BCE
Medium: Gypsum
Object number: 1868.6
Date: c. 883-859 BCE
Medium: Gypsum with remnants of red pigment
Object number: 1868.5
Unknown artist, Chinese
Date: c. 960-1127
Medium: Stoneware with white glaze
Object number: 2016.6.4
Cecil Beaton
Date: 1944; published 1945
Medium: Gelatin silver print
Object number: 1982.15
Unknown artist, Chinese
Date: c. 618-907 CE
Medium: Red clay with remnants of pigment
Object number: 1994.58
Cecil Beaton
Date: 1944; published 1945
Medium: Gelatin silver print
Object number: 1983.113