Page 106 - Decorative Arts, Part II: Far Eastern Ceramics and Paintings, Persian and Indian Rugs and Carpets

1942.9.479-480 (C-332-333)

Pair of Gourd-shaped Vases

Qing dynasty, late seventeenth/mid-eighteenth century
Porcelain with pale blue glaze,
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1942.9.479: 14.2 X 6.2 (50 /i6 X 2 /s)
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1942.9.480:13.9 x 6.1 (5/2 x 2%)
Widener Collection
TECHNICAL NOTES
1942.9.479: The light blue color is relatively even except where spot in the grayish white glazed base.
the glaze has pooled slightly at the waist and just below the rim. Compared to most Qing-dynasty gourd-shaped ves-
A few dark spots and pinholes dot the glaze on the exterior; this sels, these vases have somewhat attenuated forms. Two
glaze ends in a fairly even line just above the foot. The porcelain pieces in the Koger Collection, one with an oxblood
body on the unglazed foot-ring is slightly rough to the touch glaze, the other white, most closely approximate this
and bears some rust-colored stains. A few pinholes, a small cir- shape. Like the National Gallery's gourd-shaped vases,
cular protrusion, and a small black spot mark the grayish white
glazed base. 1942.9.480: Compared to 1942.9.479, this vase dis- these have no 2 reignmarks but are attributed to the
plays more distinct bands of darkened blue glaze color, partic- Kangxi period. Also unmarked, but traditionally attrib-
ularly at the upper shoulder of the lower lobe of the gourd, and uted to the Kangxi period, is another pale blue gourd-
just above the foot. The glaze also ends at a somewhat higher shaped vase in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New
point above the foot, exposing a rather uneven line of unglazed York, but this vase has more bulbous lobes than those of
porcelain body. the National Gallery examples. 3 Reignmarks were not
Though these two vessels most likely are a pair, they are not routinely applied to all pieces at all times during the
completely identical. In comparing the treatment of the slight- Kangxi reign, so their absence on these gourd-shaped
ly recessed bases (covered with colorless glaze) and the vases is not especially unusual. 4
unglazed, beveled foot-rings, it can be noted that 1942.9.479 is Gourd-shaped ceramic vessels have a long history in
more carefully finished.
China, dating back at least to the Tang dynasty, accord-
ing to William Watson who cites a sancai (three-color)
PROVENANCE
(Yamanaka & Co., sale, American Art Association, New York, glazed earthenware and a suffused glazed stoneware
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16-17 February 1915, no. 28). (Duveen Brothers, New York and example. They were manufactured in increasing quanti-
London); sold 1915 to Peter A. B. Widener, Lynnewood Hall, ties during the Song dynasty and remained popular
Elkins Park, Pennsylvania; inheritance from the Estate of Peter thereafter. 6 The hulu, usually translated as the "double"
A. B. Widener by gift through power of appointment of Joseph or "bottle" gourd, had several positive associations in
E. Widener, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. China, including fertility, owing to its numerous seeds.
Folklore described magic vessels made of gourds that
HESE PALE BLUE GOURD-SHAPED vases were acquired at had the ability to suck up evil vapors when uncorked; Li
Tthe same time and are probably a pair. They are Tieguai, one of the Eight Immortals, had such a gourd
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rather well matched in size, shape, and color. Pairs of vessel as his special attribute. The long-lasting appeal of
vases are not uncommon in Chinese collections. This the double gourd shape in Chinese ceramics (which was
pairing would not appear to be a concession to Western used in a wide variety of types and sizes) most likely
taste as it is, for example, in the case of pairs of brush springs from this combination of auspicious associations
washers or water pots. 1 and an intrinsically graceful form.
An even light blue glaze covers the vases except for two The color of these two vases is less uniform than some
narrow darker blue bands on the lower and upper por- other pale blue monochromes, such as the "amphora"
tions of 1942.9.480. A slightly lighter band also is visible vases (1942.9.492-493). 8 Glaze collected in certain
below the upper neck. Yet another darker line of blue areas—at the joint of the two lobes, below the lip, and
within the overall pale blue appears at the lower edge of above the foot—resulting in a darker hue. While the
the exterior glaze. This terminates in an uneven line curves and hollows of the gourd form might tend to pro-
above the foot, revealing some unglazed porcelain. A mote this result, certain vessels of this shape, such as the
whitish spot within the glaze appears on the bulge of the one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York,
upper part of this vessel. The foot-ring is slightly rough maintain a more even color. 9
and bears some rust colored stains. There is a small black VB

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