Description
This white porcelain bottle shaped vase is painted in underglaze cobalt blue. The round body is decorated with rockery, grass, and branches of peony flowers where pheasants perch. Pheasants were appreciated for their beautiful long tail feathers, which were worn in the helmets of generals to assert their rank. Flying birds are painted on the straight neck, which is interrupted midway by a raised ring in the porcelain. Outline and wash application of paint creates shadowing and dimensionality to the subject matter.
Results
