Artwork Page for Vase with Peony

Details / Information for Vase with Peony

Vase with Peony

博古花卉圖

1700–1750

Southeast China, Suzhou, Qing dynasty

(1644–1911)
Medium
Multicolor woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Measurements
36 x 26 cm (14 3/16 x 10 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2025.126
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

Woodblock printing in color reached a height in China in the 1600s to 1700s. The prints were executed by means of sets of separate blocks, each carved to print a different color.

Description

In the 1600s, printing flourished in such Jiangnan cities as Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Huizhou, evolving from privately enjoyed illustrated books printed in color to more commercialized single-sheet color prints that were hung on walls and became part of the rich urban visual culture.
A vertical woodblock print depicts flowers and ritual objects against a plain background. On the right, large red peonies spill from a tall, rectangular vase decorated with geometric patterns. Below, a bronze tripod vessel rests on a stand, releasing wisps of smoke that mingle with stylized clouds and calligraphy on the left. A small basket of flowers sits in the lower left, balanced by a tiered container and hanging gourd on the right.

Vase with Peony

1700–1750

Southeast China, Suzhou, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

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