A rare relief-decorated famille-verte 'hundred antiques' vase, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period | 清康熙 五彩浮雕博古圖瓶

Marchant, London.

馬錢特，倫敦

The Kangxi period is recognized as a time of tremendous technical and aesthetic innovation in the arts. The potters of Jingdezhen readily responded to the artistic demands of the imperial household and new markets at home and abroad. It is typical of the period that a familiar, respected technique such as applique would be revisited and refined to an unprecedented degree. Previously, thick potting was required to provide a stable support for the applied decoration and the appliques themselves were prone to crack and shrink away from the body when cooling. The present vase evinces mastery over these technical challenges. The applied decoration, each element finely detailed and enameled, adheres superbly to the body, and is further enhanced by the painted decoration.

A similar vase, but of rouleau form, is in the Palace Museum, Beijing and illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Porcelains in Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, Hong Kong 1999, pl. 143. See also a pear-shaped vase with figural relief-decoration from the Jie Rui Tang Collection, sold in these rooms, 20th March 2018, lot 329.