Asian Studies

The first thing that struck me about the two plates is their very detailed artwork. There is almost no blank space on the plates because almost all areas are covered with colorful designs. Colors that were used to paint the designs include red, green, yellow, orange, black and brown. The plates seem to be of the same size and the same mold. Apparently, the same materials were also used to mold the plates and to paint the designs.
At first glance, the two plates seem to have the same design, but they dont. The two designs are very closely similar, so the same artist may have designed them. Both plates are perfectly round with ruffled edges. The outer rims of both plates have more intricate designs than their centers. The ruffled edge is colored red but the outermost rim is white. The red ruffled edge seems to accentuate the borders of the plates and draws the eyes of the viewer toward the center.
The pictures resolution makes it difficult to ascertain what exactly the designs on the plates are. However, it looks like the red clumps on the inner rim are flowers and in-between them are yellow flowers. The red and yellow flowers are surrounded by finely drawn green leaves which form a contrast to the red ruffled outer rim. The innermost rim is white with a red teeth-like border. From the outermost rim, the plates rims are therefore colored red, greed, red. This color contrast accentuates the plates rim and draws the eye towards the center.
Aside from the red and yellow flowers, the middle green rim also has other designs, which look like different types of food. It is hard to know what these designs really are because of the poor picture resolution. However, judging from their shapes, they look like drawings of pots and vials.
First, let us describe the plate on the left. On the center of the plate are two human figures. They could be a man and a woman but it is hard to know for sure. It is difficult to interpret what the figures are doing because of the image resolution. The figure on the right bends slightly toward the figure on the left. The figure on the right wears a green robe and underneath it is red clothing. This figure could be a man because his clothing is simpler than the figure on the left. He wears a lower piece of clothing which seems to be made up of a flowing yellow material. His hair is tightly tied up on the upper part of the back of his head. He seems to be carrying a bouquet of flowers, tucked inside his right arm.
The figure on the left could be a woman because her clothing is more fanciful than the figure on the right. She also seems to wear earrings. Aside from this, she is dressed in a yellow robe with red and green accents. Underneath the yellow robe is a long orange flowing undergarment. Part of her attire is a long piece of red ribbon, which is blown by the wind toward the left. Her body faces away from the figure on the right but her head is turned toward him. Both of their facial expressions cant be interpreted because the drawing is too simple. Tucked underneath the left arm of the figure on the left is a long yellow object, which could be a guitar or a broom.
The two figures seem to be in a garden because they are standing on green grass and they are surrounded by leaves and flowers. On the right side of the figure on the right is a tree whose long branches follow the circular contour of the plate. The branches have green leaves and clumps of red and yellow flowers. On the left side of the left figure is an orange table on top of it are three vases of flowers. The middle vase is the largest one and its colored green, while the other two are colored red. Inside the large green vase are large plants with red flowers. The flowers of the large vase meet the flowers of the tree on the right side. Together, the flowers form a half-arc that follows the circular contour of the plate and frames the two figures on the center.
At the base of the center design is a red pattern of lines, which could be a part of a fence or a bridge. Beside it is a green tree trunk, and surrounding these two objects are three flowers  two red, one yellow. The circular border of the center design is a simple black line.
The plate on the right is very similar on the plate on the left on almost all aspects. However, it is clear that the details of the drawing are different but obviously, the artist meant to draw the same picture as on the left plate. The figure on the right on this plate seems to be carrying a green vase of flowers, which could also be true for the figure on the right on the left plate. Again, the picture resolution is too poor to judge correctly.
Slight differences on the designs of both plates give each plate a unique identity. Although both generally depict the same scene, the different details make each plate special in its own unique way. These differences could also be useful to people who use these plates in different ways. The tiny distinctive details could serve as indicators to know which plate belongs to whom or which plate serves a particular purpose. The slightly different designs also emphasize the fact that these plates werent mass-produced by machines, but rather manually crafted one by one by a skilled painter and molder.
These Chinese plates are really beautiful because of their painstakingly painted details. The simple colors of red, yellow and green all complement one another, making the designs easy to the eyes. Had more colors been used to decorate the plates, the overall effect would have been too complex to be beautiful. The real asset of these plates design is its simplicity but effectiveness. The scene at the center of both plates may also stand for something that once happened in the history or tradition of Chinese society.
It would be nice to use these plates as pieces of decoration or to carry food. As decorative pieces, one could prop these plates up with their designs facing the viewer. They should also serve as excellent food containers because their simple colors dont take the attention away from the food they would carry.
Chinese bowl
    The bowl has a fine circular shape with the rim slightly going outward. The base is a thick circular plate. The background color is yellow and the whole vase is covered with designs of flowers and leaves. Colors that were used include blue, orange, pink, green and blue green. Only the design covering the outer body of the bowl can be seen. The picture doesnt allow us to see inside the bowl.
    Facing the viewer on the center of the bowls body is a big flower with blue petals and an orange round bud at the center. On the left side of the blue flower are two smaller flowers, which are lightly colored blue and pink respectively. The buds at the center of these flowers are colored pink.
    The style of art used to decorate the bowl is characterized by circular and arching strokes, which seems to emphasize the roundness of the bowl. The design flows so that it is hard to see where lines start and end. All designs are interconnected together in what seems to be a network of arching lines.
    Flowers drawn on the bowl are in different stages of development. The three flowers facing the viewer are in full bloom, but on their left side, we could see clumps of small pink, blue and red flowers that are not yet in bloom. Meanwhile on the right side of the big blue flower, we can see two pink flowers that are just blossoming. There doesnt seem to be any indication that the artist is portraying the linear progression of a flowers development rather, the art just shows different kinds of flowers in various stages of development.
    Leaves are all colored green or blue green, as well as stems. Both the flowers and leaves dont remind us of certain types of flowers in the real world. These flowers and leaves might have not have been drawn from real actual models. However, there is a bright red flower on the upper right side of the bowl, which looks like a rose. The leaves dont necessarily frame flowers instead, they just flow around the body of the bowl, arching in different directions. Aside from flowers, leaves and stems, there are also tiny circular drawings, which may be fruits. They are colored in different shades of blue and red. The fruits occur sporadically throughout the bowls design, giving points of emphasis to the very flowing character of the art.
    Because of the tight weaving of the designs, there is almost no room for the yellow background to be appreciated. In fact, since the designs are all tightly woven together in this flowing style, it is difficult to appreciate any one figure in the design. The reason for this may be that the artist wants us to focus on the general and overall effect of the interwoven designs rather than on a particular part of it.
    The colorful design of the bowl gives it a very fun and bright character. The flowing design also gives it a dynamic and lively attitude. Any dish served on this bowl would surely look more special because of the design that is playful and bursting with energy.
However, the strength of this bowl may also indicate its weakness. The complex design may be hard to the eyes of some people. Other viewers may also think that too many colors were used, which makes it tiresome to look at.  It is also kind of hard to appreciate the design in its totality because the interwoven patterns are sometimes confusing. In fact, until one looks closely, it may be hard to know whether a particular design is a flower, leaf, stem or fruit. The color combinations may not also impress some people.
    Still, the bowl is beautiful and we would think that it would look even more stunning if many of its kind are lined up or arranged on a table or countertop. The positive effect of the interwoven designs should multiply if many of these bowls are placed closely together. Since there is no central figure on the body of this bowl, it may not be particularly interesting to look at it if its used as a decoration. However, the bowl could be used as a food container, since it should draw more attention to the contents of the bowl. All in all, the bowl is a good piece of artwork that could be used for different purposes.