Page 206 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

benevolence resides.” These two marks are associated with the rule of Yuan Shikai, who

adopted the reign name Hongxian and resided within Jurentang when he lived within the

Forbidden City. Both of these marks date the vases to 1916, and the connoisseurship

associated with Sir Percival suggest that these vessels have extremely strong provenance.

A cricket is a traditional emblem associated with China. Crickets have long been kept as

pets and are symbols of happiness and auspiciousness. The term for cricket is xishuai,

with the initial character xi forming a homonym for both happiness (xi) and

auspiciousness (xi). This study has analyzed insects on the dayazhai wares, specifically

the spring pattern, associating these vases with imagery produced during the late Qing

period. These vessels also exemplify the high standard still occurring within the kilns at

Jingdezhen. The pair is made of a thin, opaque white porcelain detailed with delicate

brushstrokes that draw close parallels to Chinese painting. The vases indicate that skilled

artistry remained at the kilns and that the objects being produced were fabricated with the

same care as during the Qing. These factors indicate that these vases share a distinct

connection to the wares previously examined in association with the empress dowager.

This pair of vases is a unique case, because a nearly identical pair of cricket and

cicada vases resides at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Figure 79). 267 This connection

th
proves that while wares were undoubtedly duplicated during the 20 century, they were
not mass-produced or poorly painted. Although this may be the case for some porcelain

production in China, it is unfair to group all porcelain of this era into the category of mass

production. These matching sets substantiate that high-caliber wares were produced

267 The pair of vases were a gift of Mrs. J. Spier to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1925. The
vessels can be traced back to London and were held by the Spier family in Britain until becoming
a part of the Metropolitan’s collection.

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