Baluster vase - Porcelain - China

The body of the vase presents a traditional figurative scene with young girls or female figures immersed in a garden with floral elements, classical furnishings, and plants. On the neck stand out banana leaves and two small stylized loops in the shape of dragons or ruyi scepters, painted in iron red. The back bears a famous composition by the poet Li Bai (Tang Dynasty): "The clouds remind one of his robes, the flowers of his 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 young girls in a garden. Just below the cursive signature, the artist's seal stands out, stamped in iron red, enclosing the characters of his art-name or workshop. 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 painting on porcelain by the master. By cross-referencing the painter's name with the analyzed time inscription, the production year is fixed at 1914. This is therefore an important historical testimony of the very early years of the Republic of China, painted by one of the most esteemed masters of that artistic transition.