"Poets in the Garden" Blue and White Phoenix Tail Vase

c. 1900

$1,380

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Dimensions

W: 7.0" D: 7.0" H: 16.0"

Materials

Porcelain

Purchase Quantity

Collection #

CMK045

Estimated Shipping

$150

One of the primary functions of the Chinese garden was to provide a setting for literary gatherings, places where poets and scholars convened with nature and commemorated the affair with poetry. Freely brushed in cobalt blue on white porcelain, this delightful vase depicts a scholar and his attendants in a garden. The artist’s deft hand animates the figures, capturing the sway of the scholar caught in a breeze and the impish grins of the attending boys. The spill of peaches at their feet suggests the bounty of the season and extends a wish of longevity.

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Blue & White Porcelain

Soon after its development in the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368 AD), blue-and-white underglaze porcelain became a favorite of the imperial court. Its broad appeal rapidly extended beyond China’s borders, becoming a lucrative export commodity highly sought after in Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.

Using cobalt imported from Western Asia, ceramic artists ground the mineral into a vibrant blue pigment that was then painted directly on a porcelain base, coated with clear glaze, and fired. This underglaze technique brought with it a shift in focus from the overall shape of a vessel to the skill and artistry traceable in its painted decoration.

Transcending time and taste, blue-and-white porcelain continues to be appreciated around the world for the intricate brushwork and brilliant blue color.