花瓶 - 瓷器 - 中國 - 清朝（1644-1911）

porcelain pair vases, Family Rose, Qing Dynasty, 19th century – Guangzhou, China

Material: Porcelain
Style: Family Rose
Period: Qing Dynasty, 19th century
Country of origin: Guangzhou, China
Good condition considering age and use
Dimensions: 61 x 25 x 25 cm.

Impressive pair of Chinese porcelain vases from the Guangzhou province, in the Family Rose or fencai style, belonging to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), 19th century.

This pair of vases is a clear example of the Cantonese style, as they are heavily decorated across the surface, with decorative elements of different sizes. Around the base you can find a decorative border that follows a geometric pattern, while the rest of the decorations are divided into panels depicting different scenes of everyday life, featuring figures dressed in traditional attire. Alternating within these panels are flowers and animals such as birds and butterflies, delicately rendered in vivid colors on a pale background that highlights the colors, especially the pink, which gives the name to this style.

The Family Rose is a Chinese porcelain style that emerged toward the end of the Qing Dynasty, specifically during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, around 1720, and reached its peak under the Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors. Although in China it is known as fencai (powder colors), since the pieces have a soft, matte appearance; it came to Europe as “Family Rose” in the 19th century through the French collector Albert Jacquemart. Family Rose porcelain included glazes of this color in the previous palette of greens, yellows, reds and blues.

Towards the end of Kangxi’s reign, Jesuit missionaries introduced European glazing techniques to the imperial court. The key advance was Cassius purple, a pigment derived from pyrolusite gold colloid invented in Europe in the 17th century. The artisans of the Jingdezhen imperial kilns adapted this color to create the characteristic pink glaze.

During the Yongzheng period (1723–1735) emphasis was placed on elegance and white space. Pieces from this era, such as the “egg-shell” porcelain, are famous for their extreme fineness and subtle decorations of flowers and birds. In the Qianlong period (1736–1795) decoration became more exuberant and complex, where the “hundred flowers” design became popular, with glazes covering the entire surface of the piece.

The most distinctive feature of this style is the use of a pink derived from colloidal gold (Cassius purple), offering tones from soft carmine to pale pink. Thanks to the Jesuits, an opaque white glaze based on arsenic was introduced, allowing color mixing in Chinese ceramic for the first time. Unlike earlier styles, which were translucent, this enabled tonal gradations and chiaroscuro effects similar to European oil painting.

A realist style developed thanks to the ability to mix colors, allowing representation of flowers—especially peonies—birds and insects with botanical realism, as well as court life scenes and human figures with faces and garments meticulously shaded. Due to the density of glazes over the glaze, motifs often have a slight relief perceptible to the touch.

This style was highly valued both at the imperial court and in the export market to Europe during the 19th century; hence, in the 18th century millions of pieces were manufactured exclusively for export through the East India Company. Today, these porcelain pieces are highly valued for their beauty and fine decoration.

The shipment of the product will be paid by the buyer, according to dimensions, weight and destination. Shipping costs include professional custom packaging; and personalized shipping, with tracking number and warranty. DUE TO THE PIECE DIMENSIONS, IT IS PREFERRED TO ARRANGE SHIPPING WITH THE BUYER. DUE TO ITS FRAGILITY, IT MAY REQUIRE A WOODEN CRATE.

The buyer will be responsible for paying import duties and associated taxes in the destination country, if any. Note the seller’s disclaimer regarding possible customs charges, as they are charged in the destination country and the amount payable is determined by the customs of that country. If an export permit is required, the costs are borne by the buyer. The cost depends progressively on the value of the work to be exported.