Page 66 - Decorative Arts, Part II: Far Eastern Ceramics and Paintings, Persian and Indian Rugs and Carpets

1942.9-528 (C-38i)

Vase, called "The Flame"

Qing dynasty, early eighteenth century
Porcelain with oxblood glaze, 43.8 x 17.8 (17 V4 x 7)
Widener Collection

TECHNICAL NOTES
There is a consistent medium crackle overall, and a chip on the thick, perfectly controlled welt. On one side of the body
lip. A fine crack from the lip (4.5 cm long) shows old repair. there is a lighter streaked area. These color variations give
Several glaze chips in the welt at the foot have also been repaired. the piece a lively individuality. At some time in its recent
history, an unknown connoisseur aptly named this vase
PROVENANCE "The Flame." 2 Although large langyao vases were not
Henry Graves, Orange, New Jersey. J. Pierpont Morgan marked with the reign name or other mark on the base,
[1837-1913], New York. (Duveen Brothers, New York); sold 1915
to Peter A. B. Widener, Lynnewood Hall, Elkins Park, all the characteristics of form and glaze described here 3
Pennsylvania; inheritance from Estate of Peter A. B. Widener by indicate that this vase was made in the Kangxi period.
gift through power of appointment of Joseph E. Widener, Like all Kangxi glazes of the dark copper-red type, this
Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. one has a glossy surface with very small bubbles. It is
because of the transparency and depth of the glaze that
EXHIBITED the bubbles create a sparkling effect.
On display, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, c. 1910-1911. JK

HE TALL, SLENDER SHAPE of this baluster vase is quite NOTES
Trestrained. The mouth turns outward only slightly;
the neck is short, the shoulder sloping. 1 Wheel-thrown, 1. A vase in the British Museum is very similar in size and
1951,
shape; Jenyns
pi. 7, fig. 2.
the vase still carries, on the inside, the grooves, or
"throwing rings," made by the potter's fingers as the clay 2. Morgan 1904-1911, 2: no. 1352, states "known in China and
took shape. the Occident as 'the Flame'."
The porcelain is fine textured, white, and smooth 3. Clarence Shangraw furnishes the information that
where it is revealed on the carefully beveled foot-ring. A unmarked langyao was not made at the imperial kilns, which
transparent, pale greenish glaze covers the inside and the under the supervision of Lang Tingji produced only wares with
base. On the outside, the dark red of the glaze drains away the Kangxi mark.
from the lip and streaks down the sides from the shoul-
der, becoming very deep in color on the lower half of the REFERENCES
vessel. The glaze collects just at the bevel of the foot in a 1904—1911 Morgan: 2: 85, no. 1352, pi. 137.

50 D E C O R A T I V E A R T S