Jar with the emblem of the Order of Saint Augustine

Title: Jar with the emblem of the Order of Saint Augustine
Description: The primary motif on this jar—a double-headed eagle clutching a heart pierced with arrows—served as the emblem of the Catholic Order of Saint Augustine. In the sixteenth century, Augustinian friars established monasteries in Mexico, the Philippines, and Macau (in Southern China); the jar may have been produced for missionaries in one of these locations. While the jar probably served a functional purpose, its white porcelain body and cobalt-blue decoration would have appeared luxurious to friars accustomed to humble vessels.
Identifier: 2016.166.1
Coverage: China
Spatial Coverage: European
Date: ca. 1575 - 1600
Medium: blue-and-white (ceramic glaze); Dimensions: 10 3/16 × 9 1/4 × 9 1/4 in. (25.9 × 23.5 × 23.5 cm)
Creator: Unknown
Subject: China trade porcelain; Blue and white ware--China; Ceramics; Order--Religious aspects
Publisher: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Rights: OA-Public Domain