Page 9 - Chinese Porcelain The Altman Collection

Fig. 9. Detail of afamille noirevaseof theK'ang-
hsiperiod

and birds, symbols of Taoist and Buddhist deri-
vation. Legendary and historical scenes are also
often used. The so-called hawthorn vases dec-

orated with prunus, which resembles the Eng-
lish hawthorn, generally belong to famille noire,
famille verte,or famillejaune. Among the superb
examples offamille noirein the Altman collection
is a rare mantle set, a garnituredechemineeo,f five
pieces. Seventeenth century Europeansmay have
seen such vessels as these (see Figure i) in Chi-
nese temples and imported them for use at home
as mantle ornaments. A detail from an equally
rare black hawthorn vase is shown in Figure 9;
here the tree trunks are aubergine, the branches
green, and the flowerswhite with yellow centers.
This, like the dragon vase of Figure I I, was un-
doubtedly inspired by the san-ts'aitradition.

The finest example of famille verteis a large
vase decorated with iron-red flowers among
variegated enamels. Another vase in this group
depicts the Hundred Antiques, an assemblage of
ritual vessels, paintings, bird cages, books,
brushes,and legendary treasuresof Buddhistand
Taoist origin. Still another (Figure I4) is a
charming example of figure painting.

There are several beautiful pieces of famille
iaune,much rarer than famille noire.A baluster
vase with beaker neck has long been known and
admired by collectors in China as the rarest and
largestof its kind; it is decorated with tree peony,
magnolia, and guelder-rose, with green and
white finches flying about under a white moon.

Famillerose(see Figure I6) derives its charac-
teristic deep rose color from gold. New combi-
nations of this and other thickly applied enamels
created some of the most complex ornamenta-
tion and color schemes in Chinese ceramic his-
tory. It is said thatfamille rosewas invented dur-
ing the Yung-cheng reign, though it was more
popular during the succeeding Ch'ien-lung per-
iod. This red color is almost identical with the
rose du Barrythat was invented in France about
the same time in the eighteenth century.

Fig. io. Panel of a Ch'ien-lungturquoisevase