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Hi, This is a rather finely decorated Famille Rose palette vase with a quite unusual orange band at the neck, shoulder and base. I would appreciate any input on the use of this colour as I have not seen it before. The subject matter seems to be telling a tale, but I'm unfamiliar with the story ..any ideas?

The "CHINA" stamp has a reversed "N" and the vase stands 10" high.

TIA

Larry

1930's. Nearly antique. Nice pretty piece. I'm not sure who the figures are or what significance the scene.

Hello Bill, thanks for the input, I tend to go along with your assessment, it is a handsome piece!

thanks again for responding, all the best, Larry

David - appologies - I addressed my first comment to Bill not to you! Sorry, getting long in the tooth y'know so possibly an excuse!

cheers

Larry

No problem at all Larry. Best wishes D

Hi Larry
Its a very modern piece.

Blanche

The Chinese probably would call that hue of orange glaze "coral", which color was used on some monochromes and as a ground throughout the late Qing and Republic periods. Admittedly, your vase dies have a particularly bright example of it, which could have been done on purpose or resulted from a firing issues in the kiln. I've linked here to a photo I used before to illustrate an early to mid-20th century ginger jar in the popular dragon-phoenix motif used on restaurant wares for domestic use in China and for export. I also show images here of an updated version of the same pattern that appeared at some point in the same era (the Guangxu mark on it is not period I think) and has sgraffito dragons incised on a bright orange-tone coral ground, with intervening dragon-phoenix roundels.

It's my impression that after the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, the kilns and Jingdezhen and elsewhere picked up the pace of experimentation in new ceramic glazes, patterns and forms. At the provincial level, particularly in Jiangxi, home of the historic production center at Jingdezhen, programs aimed at rehabilitating the ceramics industry were instituted circa the late 1920s and into the 30's, and continued until disrupted by World War II.

Best regards,

Bill H.

Bill - thanks for the reply and posting the examples, the rice bowl is quite nice, itself!

I've seen the ginger jars of that glaze before and even though the glaze on the ginger jar is *close* in colour, the orange enamel used on my vase is not all glossy, but quite thick, semi-matte and unctous.

As you say, this might be due to the firing process, but as the decoration is so fine and controlled otherwise, one would have to concede the effect is deliberate, no?

Thanks for responding, I really appreciate your input.

Cheers

Larry

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