Pair Of Famille Rose Chinese Porcelain Vases

Pair of China porcelain vases from the Famille Rose family.

Slender, they have a baluster appearance with a narrow neck; the Meiping form is characteristic of Qianlong taste for its graceful and balanced look.

The polychrome decoration in famille rose enamels (a term coined by Jacquemart in the 19th century – but which the Chinese previously called “fencai” (“powdery color”) or later “falangcai” (“enamel color”)) displays great finesse of execution: decorations of hanging vases, peony blossoms in stylized vases, and other floral motifs, meticulously painted, stand out against a milky white background with a silky sheen.

A further decorative element is added at the top and bottom by thin pink and blue bands with stylized floral motifs. Although flowers were a very fashionable decorative motif in the 18th century, they also possess great symbolic richness in Chinese art; peonies, for example, are a symbol of honor, beauty, and feminine delicacy, but also a symbol of wealth.

The porcelain is mounted in Louis XV gilt bronze. It was common European practice to adapt exotic objects to Western decorative tastes, which is why the entire 18th century saw such a rich and varied style. Asian art. The mount is finely chased. The neck is adorned with a flared spout decorated with foliage, and on one side rests a strongly curved handle decorated with foliage. It follows the baluster shape to the gilt-bronze base, decorated with openwork foliage.

The Qianlong period was one of the most prosperous eras of the Qing dynasty in decorative arts. This pair testifies to the aesthetic and technical refinement of the porcelains of the period.

They are not only decorative objects, but also witnesses to a dialogue between two civilizations; a time when France was turning towards Chinese exoticism. They are distinguished by their fine execution (both the painting and the chasing), a restrained and harmonious decoration, and a striking contrast between the white, the soft color, and the bright gilt of the bronze.