“Stop and admire this porcelain jar for its exquisite detail. It beautifully combines natural imagery with a timeless symbol, creating a piece that is both decorative and deeply meaningful.”
This porcelain jar, with its striking tubular handles, presents a vibrant interplay of natural and symbolic motifs. Peonies bloom across its surface, their rounded forms and delicate petals rendered in underglaze decoration, suggesting a lush garden in full bloom. The "Endless Knot," a significant Buddhist symbol representing interconnectedness and eternal harmony, is subtly integrated into the design, offering a layer of spiritual meaning. Below, a series of pendant balls and lozenges create a rhythmic border, drawing the eye around the vessel's elegant silhouette. The precise molding and the way the glaze interacts with the sculpted surface highlight the craftsmanship involved, transforming a functional object into a captivating work of art.
- Artist
- Mogens Balle
- Medium
- Porcelain with underglaze molded decoration
- Location
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Dimensions
- 35 × 20 × 12.8 cm (13 3/4 × 7 7/8 × 5 1/16 in.)
- Collection
- Arts of Asia
- Culture
- China
- Credit line
- Gift of Charles L. Hutchinson and Martin A. Ryerson
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The way the tubular handles echo the curves of the jar itself.
Look closely at the peonies: can you see the individual petals?
Find the "Endless Knot" symbol, woven into the floral pattern.
The repetitive pattern of pendant balls and lozenges at the base.
1 more detail is waiting.
See all 5 in Art Whisper →Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through Jar with Tubular Handles, Peonies, “Endless Knot,” Pendant Balls, and Pendant Lozenges — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
Mogens Balle
1921–1988 · Kingdom of DenmarkMogens Balle, a Danish painter, created vibrant, abstract works, often exploring the spontaneous and experimental.
Further Works by Balle
Daniel Webster
Art Institute of Chicago
The Ball
Art Institute of Chicago
The Masked Ball
Art Institute of Chicago
Vase
1948 · Art Institute of Chicago
Bottle
1950 · Art Institute of Chicago
Feet with Campbell's Soup Can
1960 · Art Institute of Chicago
Feet with Sea Shells
1960 · Art Institute of Chicago
Untitled
1966 · Art Institute of Chicago

