Blue-and-white porcelain vase, Tongzhi, Qing dynasty

Blue-and-white porcelain vase, Tongzhi, Qing dynasty

Porcelain vase with an elongated curved neck on which a flared mouth rests; the slender, rounded body is supported by a wide circular foot.

The piece presents the classic blue and white decoration used throughout the centuries. On a shiny, fine white glaze, the finely crafted decorations in a cobalt blue that changes intensity in a strategic way to emphasize certain points of the design. While the mouth and the upper part of the neck maintain the sobriety of the white background, the neck and the shoulders are decorated with consecutive bands depicting banana leaves, honeysuckle motifs and "ruyi" cloud heads. The bulging belly is formed by a scene that shows a palatial garden with rocks, bamboo branches, banana trees and a fence that delimits the landscape. Just below the foot, cartridges and a lotus flower patron can be seen.

This style of blue and white vases were made during the reigns of Jiaqing, Daoguang, Xianfeng, Tongzhi and Guangxu. On the base, there is a six-character mark '大清同治年制' in underglaze blue. Qing Dynasty (1644 and 1912) Possible 19th century.

Provenance: European private collection, France. Acquired by the present owner in 1981 in Toulouse from the private collection of Mr. Gerard Pasquier. A photograph of the period is shown.

Height: 29.6 cm; Mouth diameter: 9 cm; Base diameter: 11.8 cm.