Glass, porcelain & ceramics

Chinese vases

Chinese vases initially served not only for decoration, but also for storage of bulk and liquid substances. Vases were also used as funeral urns and vessels for performance of sacral ceremonies. Only in length of time they lost barely utilitarian functions and became subjects of collector▓s desires.

It is impossible to find out the place and time of birth of the first vase. Nevertheless, it is possible to point out, that the most perfect and various in shapes and d?cor things were created in Ancient Greece and China. Originally vases were made of burnt clay or bronze. In due course masters began to use other, more perfect materials and technologies.

The most ancient of known Chinese vases were made of clay and date back to the third millennium B.C., though the most popular circulating at the modern antiques market were made of porcelain, and their age is usually not more than three hundred years. Actually the Chinese learned in the IV-VI centuries how to make porcelain vases; and since then production volumes steadily increased, quality refined and popularity grew throughout the world. Unfortunately, very few subjects, created before the XIV century, are left in the whole world, therefore such vases are more subjects of museum interest, than antiquarian.

And there are not many vases left from the times of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in antiques circulation. Their value is very high due to amazing quality of things made in this period. Many experts on Oriental art use the word ╚Ming╩ as a synonym for the characteristic of worth of fine Chinese porcelain. The personal concern of emperors of this dynasty about porcelain manufacturing meant a lot for the successful development of this trade. From the end of the XIV century they not only used to make big orders and keep up the development of productive facilities, but also to personally supervise quality of design. The concern of rulers, as a sign of special favour, showed itself in the fact that they allowed to mark goods with the imperial brand (such a practice became customary from the second quarter of the XV century). Porcelain of epoch of Ming is processed with exceptional art, and each thing is unique. The main value of earlier things appeared in the emphasis of the beauty of unpainted porcelain texture. In distinction from those the vast majority of vases of Ming period were decorated with underglaze cobalt painting. Usually they were patterned with fine, elegant painting of flowers. The graceful balance of quality of ceramics, perfection of burning, shape of thing and design were distinguishing features of these vases. This testified wholeness of Chinese masters, who achieved in their development the heights of genuinely classical art. In Ancient Greece the perfect balance of canon of antique statues created in the V century B.C. was broken, as new generations of sculptors wished to add to their works more expression and motion. In Italy the harmony of parts and the whole ratio, peculiar for architecture of the Renaissance, was destroyed by adepts of the Mannerism and an early Baroque styles for the reason of search of new unusual forms and proportions. Something alike happened in China. In the XVI century artists stepped on the way of complication of painting compositions. Bright decorative pattern covered all the surface of vases. Besides monochrome underglaze cobalt painting masters began to use polychrome paints atop of glaze.

Tendency of wider spreading of porcelain among different ranges of Chinese population shows itself in new types of painting. Pictures after well-known literature plots, theatre performances and genre scenes appeared on vases. Many things came into wide circulation, which were decorated with benevolent symbols and, apparently, intended for gifts. The vase with a picture of a pomegranate flower or fruit meant a wish of numerous male posterity; a picture with flying butterflies and peonies symbolized wishes of eminences and longevity. A depiction of a unicorn (a wonderful animal in Chinese mythology) was the symbol of goodness, happiness and wealth; fishes symbolized success in state affairs and prosperity; a crane meant longevity.

As it usually happens, increase of demand on porcelain resulted in degradation of quality of vases. Approximately since 1560 quality of porcelain ceramics, glazes and painting gradually starts going downhill. One can notice that masters with different degree of skill worked in manufacturing of vases. For example, things made for needs of the emperor▓s court yard, were accomplished and painted much better, than vases intended for foreign market.

By that time high reputation of the Chinese porcelain went far beyond the country borders. In the XV century formation of the notorious collection of vases was started, which belonged to Turkish sultans and was considered one of the best in the whole world up until today. In the XVI century the Iranian shah Abbas I took a great interest in collecting of Chinese vases. From time to time these things reached Europe. Attempts to discover the secret of manufacturing of porcelain were inspired by its beauty and dearness, and continued in Europe few centuries. Due to these searches soft porcelain was invented in Florence at the dukes Medici courtyard in the XVI century. In the XVII century faience from Dutch city of Delft, painted with dark blue cobalt ╚a la China╩, become famous. Only in 1710 prominent German alchemist Betger managed to resolve the secret of porcelain paste. This event took place in the city of Maissen, and the history of the European porcelain had started from then.

In the XVI century new epoch began in European-Chinese relations, when the Portuguese opened up a sea route connecting ╚two sides of the world╩. From now on they began to regularly bring Chinese vases to Europe. Comparatively low cost of vases in China and fabulous money people paid for chinaware in the West was the major reason for flourishing of this business. Merchants did not suffer from losses despite the fact that only one tenth part of shipment reached destination points. During the XVI and XVII centuries the amounts of vases brought from China constantly increased, however demand exceeded offer manifold. One may judge about popularity of porcelain among European upper class from the only fact. There was no more or less known palace in the West, where one or few halls would not be allocated for chinaware.

In the XVII century the superiority in commerce with the East was intercepted from the Portuguese by new trading companies, among which was the Dutch East Indian Company. The last one came up with an idea to supply European courtyards with porcelain production, made in China especially by order and drawings or engravings of western artists. Thus, in Europe considerable collection of vases appeared, which were decorated with recognizable European images, but painted in ╚Chinese manner╩. There were some things there decorated with heraldic signs of notable families, individually made in China by order of the East Indian Company. At certain point of time those were made in such considerable amounts, that they constituted particular group among chinaware. In our days about three thousand kinds of European heraldic patterns is known, which were made in China. East Indian Company develops its activities at the time of rule of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and it was profitable to bring porcelain vases to the West up to the middle of the XVIII century. By that time there had already been enough manufactures in Europe, which produced goods of high quality. During import of Chinese porcelain to Europe considerable stock of good collectable chinaware was gathered that made main fund of the world antiquary circulation of Chinese vases.

The XVIII century was the last period in history of China, when the development of porcelain trade continued in the country. In the XVIII century new shapes of vases were created, and their sizes enlarged. Masters developed new renowned palettes of paints for porcelain; names of the palettes originated from prevalence certain tone in polychrome painting. Chinaware of the ╚green family╩, ╚pink family╩ and ╚yellow family╩ relates to those. Manufacturing the vases decorated with traditional underglaze cobalt painting had still been actively going on. Things of this time conclude the list of items that interest serious collectors of Chinese porcelain. From the beginning of the XIX century period of copies and replicas began in China. Gradual worsening of quality of ceramics itself, a schematization and decline of level of vase painting accompanied that process.

Times of decline of porcelain manufacture coincided with times of European domination in Asia. In this period numerous adventurers have flooded Asia in searches for worthy subjects for home collections. They did not bypass China. They tried to take out to Europe whatever of value, possible to get in China. Naturally, in European manner they tried to take out the most ancient and most valuable vases. Then Europeans had not yet learned that the Chinese were known from time unmemorable for their passion to copy ancient samples of porcelain. An attempt to buy really ancient porcelain in China is comparable in degree of risk with an attempt to acquire an original antique statue in pre-revolutionary Odessa, notorious for its falsifications. As a matter of fact in the beginning of the XVI century the Chinese used to make vases in style of the first quarter of the XV century and mark them with old brands. Only such a tendency had not disappeared in length of time, but, on the contrary, strengthened. Therefore all the collections, recently gathered by Europeans, appeared to be overflowing with such items, which might be called fakes now. That created a lot of problems relating to determining of authenticity, more precisely, identity of brand, form and pattern on a vase to the real time of manufacturing of this item. Only skilled experts with wide experience of work with original things can help with solving these problems. There is the only large collection of examined and certified things in our country in the State Hermitage Museum; therefore if you purchase a vase of the XVI century, preferably get it examined by experts at the museum. Otherwise you may only receive confirmation that the thing is really old, and brands, form and painting coincide with the ones of that time. Nevertheless few would dare to certify with all the responsibility either the thing was made in the XVI or in the beginning of XVIII century.

Russia always had ╚special╩ relations with its eastern neighbour. Despite common border, China was much farther for people from our capitals, than for the Dutch or Englishmen.

The fashion to decorate interiors with Chinese stuff came to Russia not from the East, but from the West. The first chambers were decorated ╚on Chinese matter╩ in Russia in the Kolomna Palace of tsar Alexey Michailovich. Brought by Dutch merchants things filled them up.

The only Russian tsar who tried to get Chinese stuff straight from China, Peter I was. In 1720 he decided to write for masters directly from China to decorate his palaces. However the Peking courtyard never satisfied the request of ╚the northern barbarians╩. Things of Chinese origin became requisite utensils of imperial palaces in Anna Ioannovna and Elizaveta Petrovna days; but blossoming of fashion on Chinese art fell on the rule of Ekaterina II. They used to deliver the vast majority of Chinese things to the imperial yard from the West. Considerable part of this production was made at European manufactures in the Chinoiserie style.

Trend on the Chinese antiques depends on western tendencies still traced in our country. Unfortunately, there are not so many quality items at the local market, and they are not in such a demand as in Europe. Great bulk in circulation are vases made in the XIX - beginning of the XX centuries, which are not of real value for collectors of Chinese antiques. According to Chinese legislation, export of cultural values abroad without the special permission is forbidden; so some years ago people used to bring vases from independent (at that time) Taiwan. They bring the major part of things from Europe now, where plenty of chinaware deposited during centuries of trade with China. It▓s hard to talk about significant antiquarian value of those. They are mostly of decorative character. The antiques market of the Chinese vases in Russia looks more like network of shops selling production of not great quality, but in great demand. There are things on sale there, and you will certainly be offered expertise. Actually there is no special need in it, because these certificates usually state that the vase was really made during decline of porcelain manufacture in China.

The demand on original, genuine things is limited, and this is the main problem of the market of Chinese vases. The circle of real connoisseurs of Oriental antiques is very narrow. Naturally, they would like to have a place they could find things that interest them. It looks quite logical that in the same building with the Moscow Museum of Oriental Art coexists the ╚Shon╩ antiques centre, which unites best galleries, involved in Oriental art. One can to meet there the great experts on Chinese art more often, than interesting vases.

If you really want to acquire precious samples of ancient Chinese vases, you should better go to Europe to Chinese art auctions regularly arranged by the branded auction houses Sotheby▓s and Christie▓s. And it is essential to do that as soon as possible, because the situation with Chinese art is similar to the situation with Russian art. Last decades grown rich new Chinese travel the world and buy old Chinese art items. Works of art become fewer in number, and their prices grow incessantly.

In this article the accent was intentionally made on development of manufacturing and history of collecting of porcelain vases. The reason was that the history of porcelain is very eventful and, in total, associates with history of vases of other materials. Bronze vases are omitted in the article because they are missing at the antiques market, though a lot of things exist with cloisonne enamel, repeating shapes of porcelain vases. In China the cloisonn? technique appeared during the Yuan Dynasty rule (1271-1368). Nevertheless the vast majority of the vases circulating our domestic market were created in the XX century. You may meet also vases of glass in antiques saloons; nevertheless glass was never among the favourites of the Chinese, except carved vases of the rock crystal, which represent a huge interest.