A Fine Ru-Type Vase, Hu, Seal Mark and Period of Qianlong | 清乾隆 仿汝釉束口八方瓶 《大清乾隆年製》款

Brimming with sophistication in its minimalistic concept and design, this vase with its well-proportioned angular form is strikingly contemporary in its aesthetic notion even though it was created over two hundred years ago. It forms a marked contrast to the richly ornamented decorative styles that are generally associated with the Qianlong period (1736-95), and illustrates the technical perfection achieved by craftsmen working at the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen during that time. Monochrome vessels required a high level of skill and precision in every stage of their production, from the purity of the clay and precision of the potting to the evenness of the glaze and control of the firing, particularly if of such large size as the present piece.

 

This vessel is a fine example of the monochrome porcelain of the Qianlong reign which alludes to the Emperor’s deep appreciation and respect for the past. Covered in a bluish-green glaze permeated with a crackle, it was created in imitation of guan ware, one of the celebrated wares of the Song dynasty (960-1279). Guan was produced in Hangzhou, the Southern Song (1127-1279) capital, as the Southern Song potters’ answer to Ru, the imperial ware of the North. A closely related vase also covered in guan-type glaze and of Qianlong mark and period, but showing more obvious crackle, is preserved in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, accession no. gu-ci-9106.