Work

Morphometric typology of Ming Chinese export and domestic porcelain bowls in trade and production contexts

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Chinese export porcelain bowls are heritage materials associated with Ming maritime trade, yet their morphology remains insufficiently quantified. This study develops a morphometric typological framework to characterize concentration, size variation, and atypical forms, comparing 37 export references with 25 domestic comparators. Profile extraction, typological coding, AutoCAD scaling, and Rhinoceros-assisted measurement were applied to 62 bowls. Round feet and curved bodies comprised 88.7% (55/62) and 69.4% (43/62), while everted and open rims together comprised 66.1% (41/62). Rim diameter ranged from 7.6 to 41.2 cm, including 20 miniature, 36 regular-sized, and 6 large bowls. Among 60 specimens retained for angular analysis, HFJA was concentrated (mean 59.0°, median 58.0°, SD 8.3°), whereas LFJA was dispersed (mean/median 47.0°, SD 10.2°). Export specimens showed broader size, rim-type, and angular variation within a shared morphological framework. The workflow provides reproducible evidence while treating production, trade, consumption, and function as contextual associations rather than causal mechanisms.

Source: npj Heritage Science

DOI: 10.1038/s40494-026-02994-7