Baluster vase, following 19th century Cardboard models. China, late 20th century

Baluster vase, following 19th century Cardboard models. China, late 20th century
Ceramic with enamels of the pink family.
Wooden pedestal
With apocryphal seal on the base: "Qianlong nian zhi".
Measurements: 94 x 40 cm; 30 x 54 cm (pedestal)

Ornamental vase made of glazed ceramic whose aesthetic follows the style known as Cantonese Rose Family. It presents a very frequent typology within the Chinese production, derived from the old "zun", and they combine the glazed decoration with motifs in relief in the neck: dragons of serpentine body in the fronts and pairs of lions of fo protectors in the sides.
The Pink Family of Canton style is characterized by the use of opaque white enamel and by the predominance of light and very luminous tones, especially pink and green. It is a style typical of ceramics exported to Europe, developed mainly during the second half of the 19th century. It is an ornate and very ornamental style, usually decorated with figurative scenes, and mainly characterized by the use of a wider palette than that of the normal Rose Family, dominated by light and bright shades, mainly pinks and greens. Thanks to the discovery of white glaze at the end of the Kangxi period (first half of the 18th century), Chinese potters expanded the palette, achieving new tonal ranges that would allow them to conform more to European tastes, even achieving gradations of color. In addition, as we see here, these pieces are often enriched with gilded details, very much to Western taste. Within the Canton Rose Family there are three styles: pink medallion, nyonya or straits and the Mandarin style. This pair of vases belongs to the first of these three styles, the pink medallion, introduced in 1860 and characterized by the medallions in reserve, poly-lobed as here or peach-shaped, which house figurative scenes inspired by the ancient imperial court. They can be accompanied, as we see here, by other medallions also in reserve, with motifs of flowers and insects. The backgrounds are entirely covered with flower motifs. These pieces were made in Jingdezhen, the most important center of pottery and porcelain production in China, from where they were brought undecorated to Canton, an important port where they were decorated with glazes and sold to foreign customers.