Bottle-Shaped Vase

粉彩萬花錦紋瓶

1796–1820

China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Jiaqing reign

(1796–1820)

Medium

Porcelain, overglaze colors and gold

Measurements

Overall: 30.8 cm (12 1/8 in.)

Credit Line

The Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Collection 1944.151

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Location

240A Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy

Did You Know?

Porcelain with this dense floral millefleurs decoration and a multitude of overglaze enamel colors was first made in the Qing dynasty and remained popular into the late 1800s.

Description

This vase is densely decorated with peonies, morning glories, lilies, and lotuses. Purple, yellow, and blue petals fill the surface, forming a continuous millefleur (thousand-flower) pattern. Each petal is delicately shaded to suggest volume and depth, creating a vivid yet orderly composition. The mouth is painted with gold pigment to imitate metal, evoking the appearance of copper-body-painted enamel as seen in Qing dynasty court art. Qing palace records indicate that vases with such patterns were used in everyday flower-viewing displays. In late Qing inventories, comparable examples were listed as furnishings for the emperor and his consorts.