Vase in the Shape of a "Gu"

This tall trumpet shaped vessel in the shape of an ancient bronze "gu" has a thin body divided by a central bulge and topped with an exaggerated flare. A gu was a ceremonial vessel for wine or ritual libations, and this underglaze blue and white porcelain variety would have also been an appropriate object for an altar table or as a decorative vase. Lotus blossoms and spiked leaves are painted as a uniform decoration in cobalt blue under a clear glaze layer.

The year 1683 during the Kangxi reign (1662-1722) marks the return of the Imperial production of porcelain and the reinstitution of the Imperial kilns at Jingdezhen. A revival of imperial blue and white porcelain resulted in superbly crafted porcelains with well combined body, glaze, cobalt pigment, and skillful decoration. The Manchu rulers of the Qing dynasty were also preoccupied with ancient Chinese culture, utilizing traditional shapes, designs, and glazes of the Song and Ming dynasties. This vase combines the ancient and the then modern in a harmonious manner that is indicative of the end of the Kangxi emperor's reign.

Inscription

Provenance

Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.

William T. or Henry Walters Collection, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.