Page 179 - China's Renaissance in Bronze, The Robert H.CIague Collection of Later Chinese Bronzes 1100-1900

Q U A R E IN S E C T I O N , THIS L O N G - N E C K E D V A S E has a low-set
rectangular body atop a short splayed foot. The walls constrict dra-
S matically at the angled shoulder to form the vertical neck, which
terminates in a lightly flared lip. The mouth's size matches that of the foot,
while the lip's flare balances the curvature of both shoulder and foot. Two
opposed loop handles, each with a projecting spur at the bottom, appear at
the top of the neck. Representing cloud scrolls, or possibly stylized dragons,
the flattened handles have smooth inner edges but scalloped outer ones.
Bordered top and bottom by a pair of bowstring lines, a single band of incised
decoration embellishes that portion of the neck framed by the handles.
Set against a punched ground, the decoration features lotus blossoms with
scrolling foliage. A carved reign mark of four relief characters in a slightly
recessed square cartouche appears in the center of the flat base. Evenly
and generously distributed, small gold flecks cover the exterior surfaces
of the vase and handles, including the untextured areas of the lotus scroll
but excluding the base and interior of the foot. A reddish-brown coating
on the exterior surfaces conceals the brassy color of the bronze and lessens
the impact of the gold flecks, giving them the subtle character of so-called
shattered-ice cracks within a fine Song celadon glaze.
This vase numbers among the small group of bronzes with Kangxi
marks; like the Clague Collection's gold-splashed ovoid vase [34], it is thus
important in establishing the characteristics of the Kangxi style. Well carved
in powerful kaishu, or standard-script, characters, the mark corresponds in
style to those on Kangxi ceramics and gives every indication of authenticity.
In style, the characters are slightly more fluid than those of marks associated
with earlier reigns, suggesting a slightly more cursive model. In addition,
many horizontal strokes are relatively thick, as in the character nian (era) in
the upper left corner, and most of them are set on a slight diagonal, rising
from the lower left to the upper right. Also characteristic is the pointed
lower tip of the long vertical stroke in the character nian. In many Kangxi
marks the outer, vertical stroke in the 'knife' element of the character zhi
(made) curves inward slightly at the top. (The 'knife' element comprises
the two parallel vertical strokes in the character's upper right quadrant.)
These features are evident both in this mark and in the one on the gold-
splashed ovoid vase [34]; many are also apparent in the spurious Xuande
mark on the gold-splashed circular censer with elephant-head handles
[35], indicating that the spurious mark is based on a Kangxi mark rather
than on a Xuande original.

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