Club-shaped vase
1662–1722
Medium
Porcelain with mirror-black glaze, painted in overglaze gilt.
Dimensions
Height: 10 in. (25.4 cm.)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture
Chinese
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.1739
Art Historical Context
This exquisite club-shaped vase, crafted in China during the Kangxi period (1662–1722) of the Qing dynasty, exemplifies the's mastery of porcelain artistry. Standing at 10 inches tall, it features a striking mirror-black glaze—a glossy, reflective finish achieved through precise control of firing temperatures and copper oxide in the kiln. This technique produced a luxurious, almost metallic sheen, prized by collectors for its technical sophistication and visual allure. Adorned with intricate overglaze gilt paintings, the vase showcases delicate gold motifs applied after the initial glazing an...
About the Artist
Chinese
The artist known simply as "Chinese" in museum records represents the vast tradition of anonymous or unattributed masters in Chinese art history, with 99 works preserved in our collection. These pieces exemplify the enduring legacy of guó huà, or traditional Chinese painting, one of the world's oldest continuous artistic practices. Early life is not well documented, as is common for many practitio...