Images(5)

vase

Object NamePair of Enamel Painted Bird and Flower Vases

Translation玻璃胎畫琺瑯花卉禽鳥題詞印章對瓶

Maker Imperial Workshops (China)

Made FromGlass, Enamel

Date1736-1795

Place MadeChina, Beijing

TechniqueBlown, enamel painted

Size(AB) Vase H: 16.2 cm, Diam (max): 8.3 cm

Accession Number53.6.1

Credit LineAnonymous Gift

Curatorial Area(s)

Early Modern

Not On View

Interpretive Notes

Web Text

If you mistook these glass vases for porcelain, you are probably not the only one. Qing emperors enjoyed challenging their craftspeople to mimic different materials, possibly as a way of showcasing their technical skills. Enameled glass that imitates porcelain is extremely rare.

Enamels are essentially glass paints fused to the surface of a vessel during a low-temperature firing (700–800 C). The pinks and purples are the result of dissolving gold particles the size of powdered sugar in a liquid and adding a reactive agent, an important chemical achievement at the time.

Physical DescriptionPair of Enamel Painted Bird and Flower Vases (玻璃胎畫琺瑯花卉禽鳥題詞印章對瓶). Slightly translucent milk-white glass; blown and enamel painted. Flattened pear-shaped body; circular rim with rounded lips; varying landscapes in vary-colored enamels including rocks, flowering chrysanthemums, camellias and other plants and grasses, two pheasants (male and female ?), two black and white warblers on body; inscription in black at upper right, preceded by a red seal, and followed by two red seals; narrow band of magenta of delicate vine scrolls around foot-collar; oval base with hollowed center; four-character marks of “乾隆年制 Qianlong Nianzhi” reign mark, in blue enamel.
Provenance