Chinese Qing dynasty polychrome Ling-lung bottle vase
Loading...
Date
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of the University of Pretoria Art
Abstract
Description
This polychrome porcelain Ling-lung bottle vase is decorated with t’ao-t’ie masks and bats on a fine openwork background of stylised clouds beneath a leaf pattern around the neck and ruyi pattern on the shoulder, all in aubergine, green, black and yellow. It has a fret pattern around the mouth and a pointed border around the base. The base is sunken, glazed and marked with six engraved Kangxi character marks. This type of vessel was considered to be Devil’s work or Ling-lung because the sides were perforated and pierced, but the vessel did not leak the fluids that were put into it. This vase is an example of the San-ts’ai glazing technique also known as fa-hua. The porcelain is fired first without glaze to a porcelain temperature and it is then decorated with enamel colours and fired again at a much lower temperature, the colours being separated from each other either by incised lines or by small, carefully applied threads of slip, as in the case of this vase.
Keywords
Ling-lung bottle vase