<em>Flower Basket with Stand</em>, late 19th century. Cloisonné enamel on copper alloy, 36 1/2 x 11 1/2 in. (92.7 x 29.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Samuel P. Avery, 09.541a-d. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 09.541a-d_PS2.jpg)

Flower Basket with Stand, late 19th century. Cloisonné enamel on copper alloy, 36 1/2 x 11 1/2 in. (92.7 x 29.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Samuel P. Avery, 09.541a-d. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 09.541a-d_PS2.jpg)

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How did artisans create these pieces at such an early time?

This work was produced during the Qing Dynasty, in the late 19th century, so the art form had long then been perfected. In the 19th century, cloisonne vessels were created in order to showcase the talent of Chinese artisans.

The cloisonne technique came into China around the thirteenth century from the West and artisans have been perfecting is ever since. During the Qing dynasty, an imperial workshop for cloisonne was included in the Forbidden City.

This is an amazing piece! Is there anything more you can share with us about it?

Sure! This cloisonne flower basket dates to the 19th century, towards the end of the Qing dynasty. At this time, world's fairs were starting to become more popular, so Chinese artisans began to create "showcase" pieces to share with the world. This was one of a group of similar flower baskets that would have decorated the home of a wealthy person. Our cloisonné collection was bought most likely in Beijing, by the family of the collector who donated this work to the Museum in 1909.

This flower basket is so delicate.

Isn't it extraordinary? By the time this work was produced in the 19th century, the Chinese had been making enamel for 600 years. It's clear that they perfected the art!

Did you see the display nearby that shows the process for creating cloisonné enamel?

Yes! It seems that there are more and more colors and patterns used!

Absolutely! I love that there is a human impulse to create pattern and beauty in the world.

Are all of these blues made from lapis lazuli?

There are examples of lapis and ultramarine in this exhibition, but the blue in this enamel is designed to mimic the color of turquoise.

What type of flowers would have likely been kept in a basket like this?

We don't know for sure, but popular plants in Chinese art include lotuses, a buddhist symbol of purity, as well as the "four gentlemen" four plants significant to Confucianism that represented the changing of the seasons, including the chrysanthemum, plum, orchid, and bamboo.

My best guess would be that some of those plants would make their way into this flower basket, especially those with thin stems and large flowers, based on the shape of the basket.

This is a very interesting flower basket... Do you know what kind of flowers were put in here? Is this something only a higher up could have or a common person?

This certainly represents a luxury object. It even includes at least one particular detail--a five-toed dragon--that indicates it actually belonged to the royal family.

We don't know for sure what flowers would have been kept in this basket, but the shape of it suggests that it was designed for large flowers with thin stems.

Some popular flowers in Chinese art include lotuses, chrysanthemums, plums, orchids, and bamboo.

Thank you so much. Very interesting. I was thinking the same thing because of the shape of it.

Flower Basket with Stand

Asian Art

MEDIUM Cloisonné enamel on copper alloy

Place Made: China

DATES late 19th century

DYNASTY Qing Dynasty

PERIOD Late Qing Dynasty

DIMENSIONS 36 1/2 x 11 1/2 in. (92.7 x 29.2 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Asian Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 09.541a-d

CREDIT LINE Gift of Samuel P. Avery

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Large flower basket, hanging from a tall stand. The basket, which is lobed in six sections, has a rather high spreading foot, a broad ovoid body and a contracted neck of medium height with a very broad flat mouth rim edged with a low railing. From either side of the opening rises a tall arched hinged handle. The stand consists of a hexagonal pedestal with a low straight rim at the bottom, sides that curve inwards from the top and bottom to a narrow band around the center and a flat top edged with a low railing. From a hole in the center of this pedestal rises a very tall thick post, with a pointed bulb on top, and around which curl two dragons among clouds, in high relief. One dragon, stretching at right angles from the top of the post, serves as an arm from which to suspend the basket. Copper, gilded on the rims, the handles of the basket, the dragons, and the clouds on the post, and on the bottom of the pedestal. Elsewhere, the piece is decorated with cloisonné enamel. On the foot of the lamp are lotus scrolls, on the body and neck are landscapes, on the underside of the rim are flower heads, on the upper side are flower sprays, and on the railing are frets and scroll designs, in dark blue, red, yellow, pink, white, green, and black on a dark turquoise ground. The ground of the landscape is patterned with a regular cloud design made by the cloisons alone, the ground of the underside of the rim is netted in the same way, and the upper side is patterned with a swastika and bar pattern also in the same technique. The gilded handle is engraved with a design of dragons among clouds. The sides of the pedestal are patterned with lotus scrolls and false gadroons, the top has butterflies and flowers, and the inner side of the balustrade has a cash pattern, in the same colors as appear on the basket. The ground of the post is filled with turquoise blue champleve enamel. Engraved on the base of the pedestal, which is loose, is a large four character Qianlong mark. The gilding is dulled in a few places and the surface of the enamel is very slightly pitted. A gilded bronze fringe which once hung from the rim of the basket is now missing.

EXHIBITIONS

Infinite Blue

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Flower Basket with Stand, late 19th century. Cloisonné enamel on copper alloy, 36 1/2 x 11 1/2 in. (92.7 x 29.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Samuel P. Avery, 09.541a-d. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 09.541a-d_PS2.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 09.541a-d_PS2.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2009

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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

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