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Chinese Qing Dynasty (artist) Chinese, 1644 - 1911 Wine Ewer, Kangxi period, 1662/1722 porcelain with overglaze famille verte enamels overall (with lid): 33 x 17.8 cm (13 x 7 in.) Widener Collection 1942.9.563 |
Object 20 of 24
The hexagonal wine ewer employs the colors yellow, aubergine, black, and two shades of green. The primary motifs in the decoration are the large shou (longevity) characters on either side of the ewer, over which are superimposed ogival panels with the additional longevity symbols of a crane and a peach spray. Three-clawed dragons with split tails appear above the shou characters. These motifs are painted against a ground of floral scrolls. The foot is painted with white plum blossoms superimposed on a green cracked ice panel. Panels with stylized floral sprays surround the lip. A dragon's head appears at the base of the spout and at the top of the handle. The handle is painted yellow with black lines in imitation of basketwork. The lid is surmounted by a lion resting one paw on an openwork ball that spins freely. This ewer may have been designed as a birthday gift.
(Text by Stephen Little, published in the NGA Systematic Catalogue: Decorative Arts, Part II: Far Eastern Ceramics and Paintings; Persian and Indian Rugs and Carpets)
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