Vase
1770-1795 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Toward the end of the Qianlong reign (1736-95) a new decorative scheme juxtaposing two contrasting styles developed at the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen for court's objects. In this example, bands of stylised peonies in polychrome enamels on a turquoise ground cover the neck, while the body is decorated with a finely painted scene of young boys playing in a garden on a white ground, a popular auspicious theme.
The quality of the painting appears slightly coarser than comparable court's pieces of the preceding reigns of Yongzheng (1723-35) and Kangxi (1662-1722).
The quality of the painting appears slightly coarser than comparable court's pieces of the preceding reigns of Yongzheng (1723-35) and Kangxi (1662-1722).
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Porcelain decorated in polychrome overglaze enamels |
| Brief description | Porcelain vase decorated in polychrome enamels, Jingdezhen, China, Qianlong mark and period, ca. 1770-1795 |
| Physical description | Porcelain vase with two side handles in the form of stylised dragons and small foot, decorated in polychrome overglaze enamels in the famille rose palette with a scene of small boys playing in a garden on the body and floral scrolls against a turquoise ground on the neck. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'da qing Qianlong nian zhi' on base |
| Gallery label | Vase with 100 children
playing
China, Jingdezhen
Qianlong reign (1736–95)
One hundred children, historically boys, were a popular New Year’s theme, promising abundant offspring and future prosperity. The vase’s bronze-based shape and subject
are inspired by traditional Chinese sources. But the decoration imitates colourful contemporary enamel-painted copperware made for the imperial court in palace workshops until 1789. Such wares were unknown in the West until 1860, when British troops sacked the Emperor’s Summer Palace, the Yuanming Yuan.
Porcelain, painted in enamels and gilded
Museum no. C.1196-1917
H.L. Florence Bequest(September 2009) |
| Credit line | H.L. Florence Bequest |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Toward the end of the Qianlong reign (1736-95) a new decorative scheme juxtaposing two contrasting styles developed at the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen for court's objects. In this example, bands of stylised peonies in polychrome enamels on a turquoise ground cover the neck, while the body is decorated with a finely painted scene of young boys playing in a garden on a white ground, a popular auspicious theme. The quality of the painting appears slightly coarser than comparable court's pieces of the preceding reigns of Yongzheng (1723-35) and Kangxi (1662-1722). |
| Bibliographic reference | Kerr, Rose Chinese Ceramics, Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty 1644-1911 London: V&A Museum, 1998, p. 114, no. 100
|
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.1196-1917 |
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| Record created | January 31, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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