Page 241 - Chinese porcelains collected by Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Taft, Cincinnati, Ohio, by John Getz
P. 241
CHINESE PORCELAINS
No. 71
Tall Cylindrical Vase (so<alled club shape), with sloping shoulders and
attenuated neck, flaring slightly toward the upper rim. White hard-
texture porcelain of fine quality.
The embellishment presents a warrior subject, including a rocky landscape and de-
tached cliff-like formations, in relief and carefully picked out in brilliant colors of the
" famille verte " variety with gilding, upon a uniformly white glazed ground.
The central figure (crossing a bridge) represents a burly truculent giant (probably
Kuan Yii or Chung-kwei) clad in official garb. Other mounted warriors are approach-
ing with different ancient arms, including spears, swords, leaded balls and loops.*
In the distance a group of three persons includes an emperor, or commander of high
rank, attended by his standard-bearer displaying the character "Ling" (commanding
officer), and a dragon displayed amid the conventional clouds completes a strikingly
vigorous motive.
The shoulder is decorated with a brocaded arabesque design in red, involving chrys-
anthemums and four white reserve medallions that show a separate treatment of flowers
mand fruit several colors, and a small green scalloping fimshes the outer edge.
The neck is encircled near the shoulder by a green emd black fret band, and two
small scalloped borders form a center division that sustains a red emd gold dragon amid
clouds and flames in low relief.
The upper rim is bordered by a fret design penciled in red, and the foot is finished by
an involuted band of spear-heads.
Produced in the eighteenth century (probably toward the end of the reign of K'ang-
hsi).
Height, 29 inches.
Diameter, 8 inches.
An' smcient weapon of iron or lead attached to a line, which is thrown at an opponent.
The feat is to throw the ball very swiftly from side to side to its full extent.
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