136.
A ‘FAMILLE VERTE’ ROULEAU BALUSTER VASE
Qing dynasty, Kangxi period, early 18th century
47 cm high
Provenance: Naples, Villa della Floridiana, Museo Duca di Martina, Placido de Sangro (1829-1891) collection.
inv. n. 3826.
Painted with black, red, blue, aubergine, yellow and two tones of green enamels, the body shows a sinuous meander of stylized lotus flower heads, the shoulder with four lobed cartouches with lotuses on a ground of small circles-and-dots and flower heads, the neck with five-petal flowers and a band of ruyi heads.
The lotus flower (lianhua), a widespread symbol of purity since it blooms even in muddy waters, is a highly appreciated decorative motif on Jingdezhen porcelain, even in its more stylized forms as it appears in this vase.
