Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 145

Bottle

1662-1722 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This miniature vase was produced at the kilns of Jingdezhen, in south-east China, during the early 18th century, when the fashion for Chinese porcelain was at its highest in Europe. Jingdezhen was at the time the most important ceramic centre in China, supplying both the domestic and export markets.

Miniature vases, produced in a great variety of shapes in China, were privately purchased by European merchants and became particularly popular between the end of the 17th century and the first half of the 18th century, when they were used as decorative items on wall brackets, in cabinets or around mirrors in the residences of aristocrats and wealthy people. One of the largest collection of Chinese porcelain known in Europe belonged to August the Strong of Saxony (d. 1733), who owned more than 21,000 pieces.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Porcelain painted in underglaze blue
Brief description
Porcelain miniature bottle painted in underglaze blue, Jingdezhen, China, Qing dynasty, Kangxi reign (1662-1722)
Physical description
Double gourd shaped porcelain miniature vase, peinted in underglaze blue with flowering plants growing among rocks
Dimensions
  • Height: 8.6cm
  • Diameter: 4.1cm
Styles
Gallery label
Miniature double-gourd vase China, Jingdezhen, 1700–10 Museum no. C.15-1909. Bequeathed by Mrs A. Cameron(September 2009)
Credit line
Bequeathed by Mrs A. Cameron
Object history
Bequeathed by Mrs. A. Cameron, accessioned in 1909. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This miniature vase was produced at the kilns of Jingdezhen, in south-east China, during the early 18th century, when the fashion for Chinese porcelain was at its highest in Europe. Jingdezhen was at the time the most important ceramic centre in China, supplying both the domestic and export markets.

Miniature vases, produced in a great variety of shapes in China, were privately purchased by European merchants and became particularly popular between the end of the 17th century and the first half of the 18th century, when they were used as decorative items on wall brackets, in cabinets or around mirrors in the residences of aristocrats and wealthy people. One of the largest collection of Chinese porcelain known in Europe belonged to August the Strong of Saxony (d. 1733), who owned more than 21,000 pieces.
Collection
Accession number
C.15-1909

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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