Pear-shaped bottle vase with powder blue, flower sprays and antiquities

About this artwork

AK-NM-6368 Drie flessen • Bleu poudré porselein met verte • Onderdeel van Royers porseleincollectie • Mogelijk afkomstig van Susanna Louise Huygens • Gepubliceerd Jörg 2011, nr. 99. Door de iets diepere kleur blauw van het gesprenkelde blauw in de achtergrond en de met zorg geschilderde banden rond de hals lijken deze vazen verwant aan de fraaie dekselpot AK-NM-6362. Maar de velden zijn hier wel een stuk sneller en onzorgvuldiger geschilderd. Bovendien is hier blauw email gebruikt, een aanwijz...

Art Historical Context

This exquisite pear-shaped bottle vase, of a set of three (AK-NM-6368), exemplifies early 18th-century Chinese Kangxi porcelain (c. 1700–1724). Crafted using the turning technique on the lathe for its slender form—standing 26.5 cm tall and just 3.3 cm in diameter—it features a signature powder blue (bleu poudré) ground with delicate crackle glaze (verte). The surface is adorned with compartmentalized flower sprays in vivid enamels and a popular motif of "antiquities" or treasures, evoking precious bronzes and jewels. Carefully painted gold-gilded bands encircle the neck, though the floral fields show a freer, slightly less refined hand, with blue enamel suggesting a later phase within the Kangxi era. Likely acquired in 1786 by collector Royer from the estate of Susanna Louise Huygens (1714–1785), a keen porcelain enthusiast, these vases match her inventory description of "high blue bottles with colored flower compartments and gold wreaths." Part of the esteemed Royer collection, they highlight Europe's growing fascination with Chinese export porcelain during the 18th century. Powder blue wares like this regained popularity among 19th- and 20th-century collectors, as seen in the Hamburger collection with an identical pair. Their enduring appeal lies in the subtle speckled blue depth and cultural prestige of Kangxi craftsmanship, bridging imperial artistry and Western connoisseurship.

About the Artist

anonymous

In the vast tapestry of art history, "Anonymous" stands not as a singular individual but as a collective designation for countless unidentified creators whose works have endured across millennia. These artists, spanning prehistoric cave painters to medieval illuminators and folk craftsmen, produced the foundational layers of human visual culture. Prior to the Renaissance, when individual fame emer...