A pair of famille-verte 'four seasons' rouleau vases, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period | 清康熙 五彩開光四季花鳥圖棒槌瓶一對

Elegantly painted with birds surrounded by blossoming branches, the present pair of rouleau vases is a fine example of the outstanding painting quality and craftsmanship of Kangxi imperial porcelain. Vibrantly enameled, the sinuous floral scrolls frame the four central roundels in a rectangular space, complementing the smaller rectangular panels of birds and flowers encircling the neck. The roundels depict peony, lotus, chrysanthemum and prunus respectively, alluding to the four seasons. This association of these particular flowers with the four seasons first emerged in the Song dynasty, most prominently featured in albums and paintings, and gradually became a popular porcelain pattern starting from the Yuan dynasty.