Ewer thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 136, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Ewer

1700-1720 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The attachment of elegant gilded bronze mounts to richly decorated Chinese and Japanese porcelain was highly fashionable, particularly in France, during the mid-eighteenth century. Ormolu mounts were thought to complement a refined interior and to enhance a ceramic. Originally a vase, designed and decorated in Jingdezhen, this vessel has been transformed, through the attachment of rococo style mounts, into a ewer. The bronze mounts previously belonged to another vessel but were adapted to fit this piece.

This vase, together with a similar ewer, belonged to the tailor and army clothier John Jones (1880-1882) who bequeathed his vast collection of ceramics, furniture and metalwork to the V&A after his death.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Porcelain decorated in underglaze; chased and gilded
Brief description
Porcelain ewer decorated in underglaze and with brown glaze, China, Jingdezhen, Qing dynasty, ca. 1700-1720, with bronze gilt mounts, France, early 19th century
Physical description
Porcelain ewer decorated in underglaze and with brown glaze. Chased and gilded.
Dimensions
  • Height: 33.7cm
  • Diameter: 11.5cm
Content description
horses, trees
Styles
Credit line
Bequeathed by John Jones
Object history
Bequeathed by John Jones, accessioned in 1882. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Summary
The attachment of elegant gilded bronze mounts to richly decorated Chinese and Japanese porcelain was highly fashionable, particularly in France, during the mid-eighteenth century. Ormolu mounts were thought to complement a refined interior and to enhance a ceramic. Originally a vase, designed and decorated in Jingdezhen, this vessel has been transformed, through the attachment of rococo style mounts, into a ewer. The bronze mounts previously belonged to another vessel but were adapted to fit this piece.

This vase, together with a similar ewer, belonged to the tailor and army clothier John Jones (1880-1882) who bequeathed his vast collection of ceramics, furniture and metalwork to the V&A after his death.
Bibliographic references
  • Kerr p.90, pl.124
  • Lu p.292
Collection
Accession number
809A-1882

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Record createdJuly 6, 2010
Record URL
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