Flowerpot with scene of literary gathering

A rectangular jardiniere found in the Chenghua strata of the kiln site in Jingdezhen has been discovered to be consistent with one depicted in a painting by the Ming court painter, Wu Wei (1459-1508). In this painting, a rectangular jardiniere sits by a studio table on which the qin, inkstone, and brush are being enjoyed by a lady (Tsui Mus. 1993: 42). This piece, exceptional in both its shape and color scheme, was executed with underglaze-blue for the motif, against an overglaze red background. The four symbols of the literati—qin, checkers, books, and paintings—adorn the top of the four edges. The representations on each of the four sides show a scene of the Eight Immortals, a gathering of six literati, three scholars playing checkers, and five gentlemen appreciating paintings. Taken together, these scenes perfectly explain the interests of the jardiniere's owner.