Baluster vase - Porcelain - China

The body of the vase features a traditional figurative scene with maidens or female figures immersed in a garden with floral elements, classical furnishings and plants. On the neck, banana leaves stand out and two small stylized loops shaped like dragons or ruyi scepters, painted in iron-red. The back bears a famous composition by poet Li Bai (Tang Dynasty): "The clouds remind one of his robes, the flowers of her face; the spring breeze caresses the railing and the dew becomes denser and brighter on the petals." This text pairs perfectly with the front of the vase, which indeed depicts maidens in a garden. Just below the cursive signature stands the artist's seal, stamped in iron-red, enclosing the characters of his art-name or workshop-name. The joint presence of the calligraphic signature and the corresponding seal is a crucial element: in Zhou Yumao's works, this combination certifies the direct authorship of the porcelain painting by the master. By cross-referencing the painter's name with the analyzed temporal inscription, the year of production is fixed at 1914. It is therefore an important historical testament to the very early years of the Republic of China, painted by one of the most highly regarded masters of that artistic transition.