Skip to main content
Print this chapterPrint this chapter

Week 1 Readings

2. The 6-minute method

Use this every time you meet an object (in a museum, a photo, a video, or your own work).

Minute 1: Shape & function

  • What is it? (bowl, jar, vase, plate, flask…)

  • What might it be used for? (serve, store, display, ritual…)

Minute 2: Structure

  • Rim, neck, shoulder, belly, foot/base: what do you notice?

  • Is it thin or thick? Symmetrical or hand-built? Stable or risky?

Minute 3: Surface & colour

  • Glaze or unglazed? Matte or glossy?

  • Colours: underglaze blue? iron red? celadon green? white body?

Minute 4: Decoration & layout

  • What motifs? (dragons, flowers, waves, geometric borders)

  • How is the decoration organised? (bands, panels, central medallion)

Minute 5: Making clues

  • Signs of wheel-throwing? joins? trimming? brushwork?

  • Any firing marks? (foot ring, kiln grit, uneven glaze)

Minute 6: Evidence-based interpretation
Write two sentences:

  1. “I observe…” (only what you can see)

  2. “This suggests…” (your best interpretation + why)

Figure 1: Porcelain painted with cobalt blue under transparent glaze

Front view of a tall blue-and-white porcelain vase with a short neck and rounded shoulder. Underglaze cobalt designs show bamboo leaves and stalks around a porous scholar’s rock, with scrolling cloud motifs and decorative bands at the neck, shoulder, and lower body.

A ceramic vessel can be read through shape, surface, and traces of making.

Minute 1: Shape & function

  • What is it? A vase (tall body, narrow mouth).

  • What might it be used for? Most likely display (flowers/branches) rather than pouring; the mouth is relatively small and controlled.

Minute 2: Structure

  • Rim/neck: A short, slightly flared rim and a short neck with a narrow decorative band.

  • Shoulder/belly: A broad shoulder that transitions into a tall belly; the form narrows toward the base.

  • Foot/base: A stable foot ring with a flaring lower section; visually weighted to support the tall body.

  • Overall build: Looks symmetrical and carefully proportioned—consistent with wheel-throwing and later joining/finishing.

Minute 3: Surface & colour

  • Surface: Appears glazed and glossy (light reflections on the white ground).

  • Colours: Underglaze cobalt blue on a white porcelain body; darker areas show heavier pigment/brush loading.

Minute 4: Decoration & layout

  • Motifs (visible):

    • Bamboo stalks and leaves (center-left)

    • A porous scholar’s rock (center)

    • Cloud scrolls (right side)

    • Floral scrolls around the shoulder (top band)

    • A bold lappet/petal-style band around the lower body (deep blue)

  • Organisation: Mainly bands + a main scene: narrow bands at neck/shoulder and a larger central field with bamboo/rock/clouds; heavy decorative band at the base anchors the composition.

Minute 5: Making clues

  • Brushwork: Varied line thickness and darker pooling suggest freehand brush painting with changes in pressure and pigment load.

  • Glaze boundary clues: The base shows a clear stopping area near the foot (common in glazed wares to prevent sticking in firing).

  • Form clues: The clean symmetry suggests wheel work; the crisp bands suggest planned layout and controlled decoration.

Minute 6: Evidence-based interpretation (2 sentences)

  • I observe… a tall, symmetrical blue-and-white vase with bamboo and a scholar’s rock in the main field, framed by multiple decorative bands and a strong dark-blue lower border.

  • This suggests… the maker designed it primarily for visual display, using a structured banded layout and symbolic plant/landscape motifs to create a balanced, “scholar’s studio” style composition that reads clearly from a distance.