At the Met: Chinese Porcelain

Each time I visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I walk along the display cases on the second floor, to the left of the Grand Staircase. The beautiful Qing Dynasty porcelain, of the late 17th to early 18th centuries, with lovely curves and stunning glazes, always gives me intense pleasure. Each piece speaks of perfection, with forms of absolute balance and control, and color, subtle or bold, that is deeply satisfying in its clarity.

When I look at these works, I sense a meditative approach to their making, maybe more so because they are objects that have been made, worked by a hand that has tried to leave no trace of personality. What was created was the essence of vessel, simple and pure.