Collection
/
Asian Art

Shang Vase

1736–1795

1 of 2

Object Label

This vase is part of a pair that entered the Museum's collection in 1932, but slight differences in size and decoration indicate that they were made at different times although following the same design. This form of Bottle Vase appears in the Song Dynasty (960–1279) as an archaistic revival of ancient bronze vessels, and the design of flowers connected by a scrolling vine is an adaptation of a Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) pattern. The Qing imperial court looked back to the Song and the Ming as two of the greatest eras of ceramic production, and the combination of a Song form and Ming decorative patterns is a Qing homage to China's past as a source of artistic excellence.

Caption

Shang Vase, 1736–1795. Porcelain with cobalt underglaze decoration, 14 3/4 × 9 9/16 in. (37.5 × 24.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the executors of the Estate of Colonel Michael Friedsam, 32.1032.1. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Gallery

Not on view

Collection

Asian Art

Title

Shang Vase

Date

1736–1795

Dynasty

Qing Dynasty

Period

Qianlong Period

Geography

Place made: Jiangxi, China

Medium

Porcelain with cobalt underglaze decoration

Classification

Vessel

Dimensions

14 3/4 × 9 9/16 in. (37.5 × 24.3 cm)

Credit Line

Gift of the executors of the Estate of Colonel Michael Friedsam

Accession Number

32.1032.1

Frequent Art Questions

  • Would these vases only be decorative or would they be used for some sort of purpose?

    The vase would have been used to display ornamental flowers, so it would have served a decorative purpose in the home! The ornate patterns, which cover a great deal of the surface, are a good example of the decoration popular at the court during the reign of the Qianlong emperor in the 18th century.

  • Tell me more.

    This vase would have been used to display ornamental flowers, so it would have served a decorative purpose in the home.
    The ornate patterns are a good example of the decoration popular at the court during the reign of the Qianlong emperor in the 18th century.

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