Pitcher with a Male and a Rooster in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, June 2018

Pitcher with Designs of Male's Head and Roosters (Primary Title)
清乾隆 景德鎮窯粉彩人面大吉執壺 (Primary Title)


Unknown (Artist)

Date: 1735 - 1745

Culture: Chinese

Category: Ceramics

Medium: Porcelain with overglaze polychrome (Famille rose) enamels

Collection: East Asian Art

Geography: China

Dimensions: Overall: 13 3/4 × 8 in. (34.93 × 20.32 cm)

Object Number: 79.113


This pitcher is a rare example of Europe's fascination with Eastern cultures. At the spout, an image of a male wearing a coiled turban and a well-trimmed beard looks down at a rooster, a symbol of good fortune, standing amid flowers and rocks. The images were painted with famille rose enamels, a European technique that allows a broad array of colors and tones to depict intricate details.

Text from: www.vmfa.museum/piction/6027262-8112067