Altar Vessel
1736-1795 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A large number of vessels imitating bronze, iron and pewter were produced with the judicious use of black and brown glazes during the 18th century in China. Intriguing results have been obtained on this altar vase, where the simulation of metal surfaces succeeds to the extent that it can hardly be differentiated from pewter. The inlaid stones were painted on, the turquoises having authentic 'veins'.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Porcelain, painted in gold and colours |
| Brief description | Altar vessel of porcelain simulating inland pewter, mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795), Chinese. |
| Physical description | Altar vessel painted in gold and colours on a mottled ground to simulate pewter. Mark of Qianlong in seal characters of gold on the base. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | Qianlong 6-character seal mark inscribed in gold on the base. |
| Gallery label |
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| 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. |
| Summary | A large number of vessels imitating bronze, iron and pewter were produced with the judicious use of black and brown glazes during the 18th century in China. Intriguing results have been obtained on this altar vase, where the simulation of metal surfaces succeeds to the extent that it can hardly be differentiated from pewter. The inlaid stones were painted on, the turquoises having authentic 'veins'. |
| Bibliographic reference | Rawski, Evelyn S. & Rawson, J. (Eds) China: The Three Emperors, 1662-1795, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2005
Rose Kerr Chinese Ceramics, Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty 1644-1911' V&A, 1998, No…59
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.499-1910 |
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| Record created | March 2, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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