The pair of ‘hu’ vases with a bulbous body, rising from a tall, truncated foot, decorated on the sides of the neck with s-shaped handles. The vases are raised on integral openwork stands of hexagonal shape, imitating a wooden support. Covered overall in a greyish-blue glaze.
A pair of miniature ‘Qingbai’ ‘vases, ‘hu’ and integral stands (Yuan dynasty, 13th/14th century)
Description
Dimensions: 17cm high
Provenance:
Spink & Son, London, 10 October 1984 (invoice)
A private Belgian collection
The pair of ‘hu’ vases with a bulbous body, rising from a tall, truncated foot, decorated on the sides of the neck with s-shaped handles. The vases are raised on integral openwork stands of hexagonal shape, imitating a wooden support. Covered overall in a greyish-blue glaze.
Part of a five-piece alter set, these miniature vases were intended to contain flowers or peacock feathers and would have been complemented by an incense burner (no. 17 in this catalogue) as well as a pair of candelabras. Together, they would have formed the ‘wugong’, five offerings, a traditional altar set made for the southeast Asian market.
