Stem bowl permanently set into a stand, with both parts freely revolving

Polychrome.
Body: fine-grained white porcelain.
Glaze: on bowl, pure white; on base, celadon.
Decorated with overglaze enamels.
Six-character seal mark of the Qianlong period in underglaze blue on foot of stem.

Historical period(s)
Qing dynasty, Qianlong reign, 1736-1795
Medium
Porcelain with celadon and clear glazes, overglaze enamels
Style
Jingdezhen ware
Dimensions
H x W: 13.1 x 16.4 cm (5 3/16 x 6 7/16 in)
Geography
China, Jiangxi province, Jingdezhen
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1944.13
On View Location
Freer Gallery 13: Looking Out, Looking In: Art in Late Imperial China
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Bowl

Keywords
China, Jingdezhen ware, porcelain, Qianlong reign (1736 - 1796), Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911)
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Description

Polychrome.
Body: fine-grained white porcelain.
Glaze: on bowl, pure white; on base, celadon.
Decorated with overglaze enamels.
Six-character seal mark of the Qianlong period in underglaze blue on foot of stem.

Marking(s)

Mark written in seal script characters in underglaze blue on the flat base of the stem, reading: DaQing Qianlong nianzhi.

Label

Technical virtuosity is displayed in the ingenious shapes and dazzling ornamentation of eighteenth-century imperial porcelains from Jingdezhen. By the Song dynasty (960–1279), if not earlier, it was customary to display some ceramic vessels on lacquer or porcelain stands to elevate them and set them above the mundane. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries some vases were made with nondetachable ceramic stands, which provided a model for this court porcelain. The daring combination of a pale celadon glaze for the stand with bright overglaze enamel decoration reflects the two sides of Qing imperial taste: revival of Song dynasty elegance and outright flamboyance.

Published References
  • Oriental Ceramics: The World's Great Collections. 12 vols., Tokyo. vol. 10, pl. 41.
  • Geng Baochang. Ming Qing ci qi jian ding. Beijing. fig. 484.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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