Gourd-shaped vase, Qing dynasty, 19th century

Gourd-shaped vase, Qing dynasty, nineteenth century.
Hand-painted blue and white ceramic.
Seal on the base.
Measurements: 36 x 16 x 16 cm.

Vase made of porcelain that presents a design known as gourd type painted with floral decoration and phoenixes. It is a typically Chinese typology, characterized by the globular deposit and the ovoid neck, generally ending in a flat mouth. The Chinese word for gourd is a homophone of the words "protection" and "good fortune", for this reason the representation was common in the artistic field. In this particular case, the two pieces have the same design that starts with geometric ornaments on the base and a pattern of vegetal and animal details on the body. Porcelain known for its chromaticism as "cobalt blue" or "blue on white" was highly appreciated in Europe from its early importation. In fact, it was so much appreciated by other cultures such as Islam that it was very often works destined for this market that ended up influencing European ceramic production, which aspired to resemble as closely as possible this production destined for export, created in large quantities in China. It was not until around the middle of the 17th century that production began in this oriental country, blue and white porcelain being among the first to arrive directly in Europe in large quantities.