This lantern is made of eggshell porcelain, turned down to a translucent thinness, so that the enamel colours show right through. The body has the lambent honey tone that characterises Yongzheng porcelain. A Daoist scene is delicately painted in pale enamel colours, the faces outlined in red and contoured with thin red wash. The decoration is in the Chinese style of doucai or 'dovetailing colours', a process whereby fine porcelain is first decorated in underglaze blue outline and then carefully filled in with overglaze enamels, the latter 'dovetailing' into the outlines.
Physical description
The lantern has a globular body and a short neck and foot. Painted in underglaze blue outline and two shades of green, red and manganese purple, with a sage in a landscape accompanied by two attendants and three goats.
Place of Origin
China (made)
Date
ca. 1720-1725 (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown
Materials and Techniques
Porcelain, painted in underglaze blue and overglaze enamels
Marks and inscriptions
'Beurdeley collection' sticky label on base
Dimensions
Height: 21.5 cm
Object history note
Formerly in the Beurdeley collection.
Descriptive line
Lantern decorated in 'doucai' style, ca.1720-1725, Chinese
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Kerr, Rose Chinese Ceramics, Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty 1644-1911, London: V&A, 1998, No. 85
Materials
Porcelain
Techniques
Painted; Glazed
Categories
Ceramics; Porcelain
Collection
East Asia Collection