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ROULEAU VASE WITH SCENE FROM THE ROMANCE OF THREE KINGDOMS

Creator(s): Unknown (Manufacturer)

On view in: Dining Room


About this object

This rouleau vase with its cylindrical body, short flat shoulders, and short thick neck with spreading mouth rim is carved and enameled to depict a battle scene with Kung Ming (also known as Juko Liang) from the Sanguozhi Yanyi, or The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, presumably written in its current form by the fourteenth-century author Luo Guanzhong (ca. 1330-ca. 1400). The central scene, which may illustrate the line from the novel, "Now the sword and spear are all around us," is framed by a floral lambrequin below and panels of archaic vessels and paintings on the neck. The shoulder has an elaborate floral design in enamels set against gilding. The famille-verte palette is low-firing translucent lead-silicate enamels.

This rouleau vase with its cylindrical body, short flat shoulders, and short thick neck with spreading mouth rim is carved and enameled to depict a battle scene with Kung Ming (also known as Juko Liang) from the Sanguozhi Yanyi, or The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, presumably written in its current form by the fourteenth-century author Luo Guanzhong (ca. 1330-ca. 1400). The central scene, which may illustrate the line from the novel, "Now the sword and spear are all around us," is framed by a floral lambrequin below and panels of archaic vessels and paintings on the neck. The shoulder has an elaborate floral design in enamels set against gilding. During the Qing dynasty, the earliest enameled wares including those from the reign of Kangxi were characterized by brilliant translucent greens (the famille verte palette, or yingcai known as "brilliant colors") predominating over brick red, yellow, and aubergine with the addition from the mid-1680s of an enamel blue. This palette is low-firing translucent lead-silicate enamels.

Object name:
ROULEAU VASE WITH SCENE FROM THE ROMANCE OF THREE KINGDOMS
Made from:
Carved porcelain with famille verte enamels and gilding
Made in:
Jingdezhen, China
Date made:
1700-1722
Size:
H. 15 1/2 × Diam. 7 in. (39.4 × 17.8 cm) on wood stand: H. 19 1/2 in. (49.5 cm)

Detailed information for this item

Catalog number:
26.259.3
Class:
CERAMICS
Signature marks:
LABEL underneath: rectangular label with C1827 on it; round label with a coat of arms and motto (Mediocria firma) and ERB in script; an oval label with 40 on it
Credit line:
Bequest of Marjorie Merriweather Post, 1973