Ming Dynasty Green Glazed Pottery Offering Chest

Ming Dynasty, c. 1550–1644, China

A rare and evocative pottery model of a storage chest, crafted as part of a Ming Dynasty tomb group. The piece rests on a rectangular base and is almost entirely covered in a lustrous deep green glaze with black undertones, while the lock plate, handles, and back rings are highlighted in a lighter green. The unglazed top suggests something may once have been placed above it, while the underside is pierced with five small holes. Carefully modeled to imitate the functional storage chests used in daily life—often for clothing, robes, or official regalia—this miniature example was created as mingqi (“spirit goods”) to accompany the deceased into the afterlife.

Such funerary models were central to Chinese burial traditions, symbolizing the comforts and necessities the departed would require in the next world. While lead-glazed wares originated in the Han Dynasty and reached vivid artistic expression in Tang sancai ceramics, Ming tomb wares often employed striking single-color glazes, with rich green tones especially prized.

This offering chest, finely detailed and beautifully preserved, is both a testament to the craftsmanship of Ming potters and a window into the beliefs and material culture of one of China’s greatest dynasties.

Excellent condition. Intact. Surface wear, and minor abrasions consistent with age, with areas of encrusted patina and rich earthen deposits across the surface. Size approx. 14,0cm x 10,6cm x 10,7cm.

Provenance: British private collection.

For a similar examples see:

Model of chest, Asian Civilisations Museum, Accession Number: 1993-00107 (https://www.roots.gov.sg/Collection-landing/listing/1062148)

References and further reading:

The Matter of Tang Tomb Figures; A New Perspective on a Group of Terracotta Animals and Riders, Lucien Van Valen & Isabelle Garachon, The Rijksmuseum Bulletin, Volume 62. pp. 218-239, 2014.

Dream of Ideal Life in Ancient China: Ceramic Miniatures of Architectures, Household Goods, People and Animals, Aichi.ken Toji Shiryokan, Seto, 2005, no. 14, p. 34.

Antecedents of Sui-Tang Burial Practices in Shaanxi, Mary Fong, Artibus Asiae 51, no:s. 3–4 (1991), pp. 147–98.

Mingqi - Items for the next world, Jan-Erik Nilsson, Gotheborg.com (https://gotheborg.com/glossary/mingqi.shtml)

Immortality of the Spirit: Chinese Funerary Art from the Han and Tang Dynasties Exhibition Catalogue, Jill J. Deupi, Ive Covaci & Leopold Swergold, Immortality of the Spirit - Ephemera. 1, Fairfield University, 2012. (https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/immortality_ephemera/1)

The Vibrant Role of Mingqi in Early Chinese Burials, Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, Heather Colburn Clydesdale, Independent Scholar, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, April 2009. (www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/mgqi/hd_mgqi.htm)