Chinese famille verte vase
Peter Musgrove holding the 18th century Chinese Vase
Remains of the Chinese Shopping List
A Chinese shopping list written 300 years ago has been found at Fairfax House in an early 18th century Chinese vase during the winter cleaning.
The discovery was made whilst the House, which is closed to the public every January, was being cleaned prior to the start of the new season.
Peter Musgrove, who co-ordinates the winter cleaning programme explained that this particular vase has been in the House since it first opened nearly 25 years ago and has often been placed in the Saloon for visitors to see.
He added: “In recent years, due to its fragile state the vase, which is decorated in famille verte colours, has been kept in the store room. I took it out to clean and heard a rattling in the bottom of the vase. I gently poked a stick inside and drew up a crumpled up piece of rice paper with black ink Chinese writing.
Peter Brown, Director at Fairfax House, has shown this document to a Chinese student from the University of York who has said it was the remains of a decorator’s shopping list with the costs of pigments which were needed to decorate this vase.
The paper, which is very delicate, has been mounted onto a piece of card and will be sent away for further analysis.
Information about the Vase
A Chinese famille verte vase, porcelain, coloured enamels and soapstone, China (Jingdezhen), Kangxi (1662-1772), ht. 40cm.
Of baluster shape with square sections, high-waisted splayed foot and neck and applied carved soapstone scrolled and ruyi-shaped handles. The vase is decorated with diaper borders to foot and neck, the panels with floral sprays, butterflies and rockwork alternating with panels of birds perched on branches.
The shape of the vase is typically Chinese and echoes the archaic form of ritual bronzes. The decorative motifs are also of Oriental taste.
Likely to be one of five, this vase would have been part of a garniture, a set of vases displayed on the mantle shelf above an 18th century fireplace. Known as garniture-du-cheminée, these sets were often made up of vases of complementary height and shape.
The practice of displaying oriental porcelain in Western interiors dates back to the early 17th century, when this type of object started to arrive as part of the trade cargoes from the East, and were displayed on shelves built above corner fireplaces.
Once the fashion for collecting and displaying oriental porcelain took off, these rooms were soon filled with wall brackets parading a variety of Eastern treasures.
The discovery was made whilst the House, which is closed to the public every January, was being cleaned prior to the start of the new season.
Peter Musgrove, who co-ordinates the winter cleaning programme explained that this particular vase has been in the House since it first opened nearly 25 years ago and has often been placed in the Saloon for visitors to see.
He added: “In recent years, due to its fragile state the vase, which is decorated in famille verte colours, has been kept in the store room. I took it out to clean and heard a rattling in the bottom of the vase. I gently poked a stick inside and drew up a crumpled up piece of rice paper with black ink Chinese writing.
Peter Brown, Director at Fairfax House, has shown this document to a Chinese student from the University of York who has said it was the remains of a decorator’s shopping list with the costs of pigments which were needed to decorate this vase.
The paper, which is very delicate, has been mounted onto a piece of card and will be sent away for further analysis.
Information about the Vase
A Chinese famille verte vase, porcelain, coloured enamels and soapstone, China (Jingdezhen), Kangxi (1662-1772), ht. 40cm.
Of baluster shape with square sections, high-waisted splayed foot and neck and applied carved soapstone scrolled and ruyi-shaped handles. The vase is decorated with diaper borders to foot and neck, the panels with floral sprays, butterflies and rockwork alternating with panels of birds perched on branches.
The shape of the vase is typically Chinese and echoes the archaic form of ritual bronzes. The decorative motifs are also of Oriental taste.
Likely to be one of five, this vase would have been part of a garniture, a set of vases displayed on the mantle shelf above an 18th century fireplace. Known as garniture-du-cheminée, these sets were often made up of vases of complementary height and shape.
The practice of displaying oriental porcelain in Western interiors dates back to the early 17th century, when this type of object started to arrive as part of the trade cargoes from the East, and were displayed on shelves built above corner fireplaces.
Once the fashion for collecting and displaying oriental porcelain took off, these rooms were soon filled with wall brackets parading a variety of Eastern treasures.
This object is located in the Saloon
It is categorised as Ceramic
This page was last updated on 5 February 2008