The square body painted on each side with one of the flowers of the four seasons 四季名花 (Sìjì Mínghuā), peony, lotus, chrysanthemum and prunus, growing among rocks and foliage, further decorated with birds. The square sections set within key-fret borders. The shoulders and slender neck are decorated with lotus scrolls.
A blue and white square-form flask and cover
Description
Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662-1722)
Dimensions: 29.5 cm high, 10.5 cm wide
Provenance:
A private English collection
The square body painted on each side with one of the flowers of the four seasons 四季名花 (Sìjì Mínghuā), peony, lotus, chrysanthemum and prunus, growing among rocks and foliage, further decorated with birds. The square sections set within key-fret borders. The shoulders and slender neck are decorated with lotus scrolls.
Flasks of this form, inspired by early European glass and metal prototypes, are among the earliest examples of cross-cultural adaptation in Chinese porcelain. Surviving examples retaining their covers are comparatively rare.
