Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Vase with Flowering Plum Design
(China )
The flowering plum that wraps itself around this elegant vase is one of China's most enduring artistic motifs. Blossoming early in the year around the time of the Chinese New Year, the plum is the harbinger of spring and carrier of the promise of renewal. The speed with which the plum blossom moves from dormant bud to flower to fallen petals made it a metaphor for the brief experience of life and the apparent transience of all living things. Its great beauty and fragility appealed to painters, poets, and others who created works for the Chinese decorative arts market.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Randolph Mordecai [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1948, by gift.
Exhibitions
| 1980-1981 | Masterpieces of Chinese Porcelain. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Geographies
China (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Approx. H: 16 in. (40.64 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Randolph Mordecai, 1948
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
49.2381