Vase
1736-1795 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The striking glaze on this jar imitates the colour and surface effects of Jun ware, a glazed stoneware of the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) periods that was favoured by the elite and emperors towards the end of the Ming dynasty. This brilliant glaze was known as flambé in Europe and yaobian (kiln transmutation) in Chinese. During the early Qing period a growing appreciation for early Jun wares led to commissions copying the archaic vessel. After an official request for pieces from the Yongzheng emperor, in the seventh year of his reign (1729), Jingdezhen potters were asked to improve the colour of the old glazes. Under the supervision of Nian Xiyao and Tang Ying, kiln superintendents, a series of experiments were undertaken. The final result was a combination of three colours: red and blue for the body, and brown for the base. Over a white porcelain body these glazes created a rich colour and brilliant shine.
During the late nineteenth century European potters attempted to reproduce the striking colours of the popular monochrome pieces of the Qing dynasty and their older predecessors.
During the late nineteenth century European potters attempted to reproduce the striking colours of the popular monochrome pieces of the Qing dynasty and their older predecessors.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Glazed porcelain |
| Brief description | Vase, porcelain with flambé red glaze, China, Qing dynasty, Qianlong mark and period (1736-1795) |
| Physical description | Vase of porcelain, with ovoid body, short wide neck and low foot. Two applied handles in the shape of monsters' heads with adherent rings on opposite side of the shoulder. Covered with a flambé red glaze with blue and white streaks. The base glazed brown. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'da qing Qianlong nian zhi' in seal characters incised on base
|
| Credit line | Salting Bequest |
| Object history | Bequeathed by Mr. George Salting, accessioned in 1910. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Production | Register |
| Summary | The striking glaze on this jar imitates the colour and surface effects of Jun ware, a glazed stoneware of the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) periods that was favoured by the elite and emperors towards the end of the Ming dynasty. This brilliant glaze was known as flambé in Europe and yaobian (kiln transmutation) in Chinese. During the early Qing period a growing appreciation for early Jun wares led to commissions copying the archaic vessel. After an official request for pieces from the Yongzheng emperor, in the seventh year of his reign (1729), Jingdezhen potters were asked to improve the colour of the old glazes. Under the supervision of Nian Xiyao and Tang Ying, kiln superintendents, a series of experiments were undertaken. The final result was a combination of three colours: red and blue for the body, and brown for the base. Over a white porcelain body these glazes created a rich colour and brilliant shine. During the late nineteenth century European potters attempted to reproduce the striking colours of the popular monochrome pieces of the Qing dynasty and their older predecessors. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Other number | Loan no. 627 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.407-1910 |
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| Record created | February 17, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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