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Pair of mounted vases

ca. 1750
Not on view
These sky-blue vases of the Ch’ien Lung period were embellished in Paris with scrolled and foliated mounts that were used as bases, handles and rims and adapted them to the European Rococo aesthetic. The mounting of both Asian and European porcelain became a standard and lucrative practice for the Parisian marchands merciers. In this manner they could enhance a mediocre piece of porcelain or preserve a precious but damaged object. These “makers of nothing and sellers of everything” also invented new models for porcelain by giving them pierced mounts and turning them into incense burners or pot pourri holders.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Pair of mounted vases
  • Date: ca. 1750
  • Culture: Chinese with French mounts
  • Medium: Hard-paste porcelain, gilt bronze mounts
  • Dimensions: Overall: 7 1/4 × 7 1/4 × 5 1/2 in., 6lb. (18.4 × 18.4 × 14 cm, 2.7216kg)
  • Classification: Metalwork-Gilt Bronze
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 1977
  • Object Number: 1977.102.1, .2
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Pair of vases, Hard-paste porcelain; gilt-bronze mounts, Chinese with French mounts
Pair of vases
Chinese with French mounts
mounts ca. 1760–70, porcelain early 18th century
Pair of vases, Sèvres Manufactory French, Hard-paste porcelain; gilt bronze, marble, French, Sèvres
Pair of vases
Sèvres Manufactory
1789
Chinese figure with bird, Meissen Manufactory German, Hard-paste porcelain with gilt-bronze mounts and soft-paste porcelain flowers, German, Meissen with French mounts and French, Vincennes flowers
Chinese figure with bird
Meissen Manufactory
George Fritzsche
ca. 1727, mounts and flowers ca. 1750
Two wall sconces (Bras de cheminée), Jean-Claude Duplessis French, Soft-paste porcelain decorated in polychrome enamel, gold, gilt bronze, French, Sèvres
Two wall sconces (Bras de cheminée)
Jean-Claude Duplessis
Sèvres Manufactory
ca. 1761
Potpourri bowl with cover (one of a pair), Hard-paste porcelain, gilt-bronze mounts, Japanese with French mounts
Potpourri bowl with cover (one of a pair)
Japanese with French mounts
porcelain late 17th century, mounts ca. 1745–50

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