GRAND VASE EN PORCELAINE BLEU BLANC, FANGHU

CHINE, DYNASTIE QING, MARQUE A SIX CARACTERES EN CACHET EN BLEU SOUS COUVERTE ET EPOQUE QIANLONG (1736-1795)

Details

GRAND VASE EN PORCELAINE BLEU BLANC, FANGHU
CHINE, DYNASTIE QING, MARQUE A SIX CARACTERES EN CACHET EN BLEU SOUS COUVERTE ET EPOQUE QIANLONG (1736-1795)
The sturdily-potted vase is moulded to the exterior on both sides with a peach-form cartouche enclosing fruiting peach branches surrounded by five bats, three of which are confronting a wan symbol. The cartouches are surrounded by elaborate lotus scrolls which extend around all sides of the vessel. The neck is painted with a wide band of star-shaped flowers and is applied with two square lug handles. The base bears a long inscription indicating that the vase was given to a Confucian temple in Qufu, Shangdong province.
19½ in. (49.5 cm.) high

Provenance

Acquired in South East Asia in the 1950s.

Further details

A LARGE BLUE AND WHITE 'BATS AND PEACHES' VASE, FANGHU
CHINA, QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG SIX-CHARACTER SEAL MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE AND OF THE PERIOD (1736-1795)

Lot Essay

Both the impressively large size and the elaborate decoration of the current vessel indicate that this was produced for a person of great stature, probably in celebration of a birthday. The combination of five bats and nine peaches represent the wish for happiness and longevity. Five bats represent the Five Blessings of longevity, health, wealth, love of virtue and a peaceful death. The Chinese character for the number nine provides the pun for 'eternity', whilst peaches symbolise 'longevity'. A similar vase in the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, is illustrated in Porcelain of the National Palace Museum: Blue-and-White Ware of the Ch'ing Dynasty, Book II, Hong Kong, 1968, pl. 13. Also see a similar pair of Qianlong mark and period blue and white fanghu vases of a smaller size (30 cm. high), sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30 May 2006, lot 1403.

More from Art d'Asie

View All