Ming Dynasty Pottery Miniature Food Offering

Ming Dynasty, c. 1550–1644, China

A rare and finely modelled miniature pottery food offering in the form of three walnuts, created as a mingqi (spirit object) to accompany the deceased into the afterlife. Beautifully rendered and covered in a bright ochre lead glaze, this charming funerary model formed part of the rich tradition of burial goods placed within tombs to ensure comfort, nourishment, and prosperity in the world beyond. In Chinese culture, walnuts (he tao, 核桃) have long been associated with harmony, longevity, wisdom, and good fortune, their symbolism reinforced through linguistic wordplay, traditional medicine, and their popularity among the scholarly and imperial elite.

The vibrant lead glaze reflects the celebrated sancai ("three-colour") ceramic tradition, perfected during the Ming dynasty. Employing combinations of green, amber, cream, ochre, and brown glazes, Ming potters produced richly coloured surfaces that emulated the appearance of more precious materials such as jade, bronze, and lacquer. On this example, the lustrous ochre glaze enhances the naturalistic modelling of the walnuts while demonstrating the technical refinement and artistic sophistication of Ming ceramic workshops.

The widespread production of mingqi during the Ming dynasty continued a funerary tradition that had flourished in China since the Han dynasty. Miniature models of food, vessels, servants, animals, and household furnishings were carefully arranged within tombs to recreate the comforts of earthly life, ensuring that the deceased would enjoy abundance, status, and well-being in the afterlife. Such objects provide valuable insight into Chinese burial customs and the enduring belief in the close relationship between the material and spiritual worlds.

Both visually appealing and rich in symbolic meaning, this miniature walnut offering is a fine example of Ming dynasty funerary pottery. It reflects the artistic refinement, cultural sophistication, and deeply rooted spiritual traditions of imperial China, offering a tangible connection to one of the world's most enduring ceramic and funerary traditions.

Good condition. Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age, nicks and chip, with fading to some finer features, and light encrustations within recessed areas. Nice earthen deposits throughout. Glazing defects and firing flaws. Size approx. 4,2cm x 3,8cm x 3,9cm. 

Provenance: British private collection

For a similar example see:

Model of food offering, Asian Civilisations Museum - National Heritage Board, Singapore, Accession Number: 1994-00478.                                (https://www.roots.gov.sg/Collection-Landing/listing/1069714)

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)