1
Located in the Chrysler Museum of Art, Asian Exhibit, Norfolk, Virginia is a
Covered Ewer from China. (Fig. 1) The porcelain and enamel famille-verte wine ewer is
from the Chinese Kangxi Period, Qing Dynasty (1662 – 1722) measuring nine and a half
inches in height.1,2 The wine ewer on exhibit in the Chrysler Museum of Art is a late 17th
or early 18th Century Famille Verte Calligraphic Wine Ewer in a flowing artistic
depiction of shou, which is a representation of longevity. The elongated rectangular
section forms an auspicious symbol with the central lozenge embellished with a painting
of a man in a green robe seated in a garden on both the front and reverse. A flower motif
with green being the dominating color scrolls the remainder of the body of the wine ewer.
The green on this ewer has been applied not only as a color, but also as a form. The
various tones of the green describe volume as in the robe on the man in the central
lozenge and on the leaves on the body of the wine ewer. Black is utilized only as an
outline and for the man’s hair. A seated green fu dog surmounts the square cover. The
handle and spout are striated and decorated in aubergine to resemble bamboo wrappings.
The spout and handle are in a rectangular section with the spout having support. There
are three breaks where the spout, support, and body have separated and subsequently
poorly mended.3 4 The information contained in this paper is intended to expand the
knowledge pertaining to this Chinese porcelain wine ewer.
1
Chrysler Museum of Art Library Printout, accessed September 2008.
2
Nigel Wood. Chinese Glazes: Their Origins, Chemistry, and Recreation. (London: A &
C Black and Philadelphia: University of Philadelphia, 1999): 240.
3
Vermeer & Griggs Specialists in Fine Chinese Ceramics Asian Art. 2000-2008.
http://teadust.com/gallery/fn/fn_gu_400.httm, (accessed 6 September 2008).
4
Chrysler Museum, printout, 2008.
2
The wine ewers during the Kangxi Period were rendered in three styles; fu,
representing prosperity; shou representing longevity, and lu representing success.
Relatively few of these types of wine ewers still exist, however the Victoria & Albert
Museum in London is fortunate to have a set of all three (fu, shou (Fig. 2.), and lu) in
their collection.5 Additionally, two pieces of similar works are currently for sale through
Vermeer and Griggs Specialists in Fine Chinese Ceramics. The wine ewer closest to the
ewer in the Chrysler Museum of Art is a 19th Century Lime Green Calligraphic Wine
Ewer (Fig. 3) in the shape of shou. The other piece for sale is a 19th Century Famille
Noire Calligraphic Ewer (Fig. 4) in the shape of fu.6
The early history of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in China was plagued with run
down conditions in Jingdezhen from political turmoil and fires. After the turmoil settled
down and the fires ceased, kilns were rebuilt and production of porcelain was able to
resume.7 A large majority of the porcelain from China was made in Jingdezhen via a
large organized labor force. The Chinese Imperial court would appoint a public official,
or eunuch, to provide overall control of over five hundred masters and workers in the
separate departments. The kiln masters, painters, potters, and mark writers were among
the most important workers in the porcelain factory. Each worker was specialized and
trained exclusively in their particular field thus insuring consistency and product control.8
Nearly all the fine porcelain during the Qing Dynasty was produced at Jingdezhen due to
the magnificent clay deposits located in the region. Imports to Europe, the Middle East
5
Victoria and Albert Museum, Collection, 2007,
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/objectid/O116735 (accessed 19 November 2008).
6
Vermeer & Griggs, 2008.
7
Wood, Chinese Glazes, 1999: 240.
8
Edith Frankel and James D. Frankel. “Wine and Spirits of the Ancestors; Chinese
Vessels for Storing, Serving and Drinking Wine.” Arts of Asia, 31, no. 3 (2001):
134-137.
3
and Central Asia of Chinese wares during the Kangxi Period increased noticeably. The
production of porcelain being exported to Europe by the end of the 19th Century from
Jingdezhen was at an all time high. Jingdezhen’s location in China provided the ease of
transport on the Chang river and an abundance of raw materials needed to make
porcelain.9
The Chinese Covered Ewer in the Chrysler Museum of Art does not have a seal or
mark on the bottom of the wine ewer as was traditional during a majority of the Dynasties
in China.10 The lack of a seal or mark on the bottom of the Covered Ewer in The
Chrysler Museum of Art is a fact essential in placing the wine ewer in the Kangxi period.
During the Kangxi Period there was less regard for archaism, which became popular in
the following reigns when porcelain often had seals or marks. Kangxi famille-verte
porcelain dishes and bowls were occasionally sealed or marked, however other porcelain
objects during this time lacked a mark or a seal.11
The Chinese customs involving the consumption of wine have evolved along side
institutions such as religion and the arts. The consumption of wine has been viewed by
the Chinese to have religious, spiritual, and ritual significance in their culture. Of
particular significance to the wine ewer is a gathering, which occurred after the fall of the
Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – A.D. 220), the “Gathering at the Lanting”. The “Gathering at
the Lanting” was a group of disenfranchised officials seeking refuge far from society.
They gathered in the bamboo groves to write poetry, play music, and drink wine. At the
“Gathering at the Lanting” wine cups were floated down stream for the poets to drink
9
Julie Emerson, Porcelain Stories: From China to Europe. (Seattle and London:
University of Washington Press, 2000).
10
Chrysler Museum, printout, 2008.
11
Vermeer & Griggs, 2008.
4
when they were lacking inspiration and needed to “see their spirit”. The gathering came
to symbolize gentlemen scholars and was inspiration for countless poetry, literature, and
art over the following centuries. Connoisseurship of various arts extended to include fine
cuisine and numerous types of wine. The associations connecting art and wine became
so intertwined that the shops selling wine frequently hosted literati discussions on
subjects such as the elegance of porcelain glazes, paintings, and pottery.12
The polychrome embellishment of the Kangxi period, the famille verte palette of
enamels derives its name from numerous distinctive shades of green that are almost
always present in the color scheme. Famille verte enamels are brightly colored and
translucent. In addition to the assortment of green colors, the famille verte porcelains also
include colors such as yellow; aubergine; red; white (which is achieved by allowing the
porcelain to show through a clear enamel); and black.13 Experimentation in color and
glazes was a characteristic during the Kangxi Period. Kangxi Period, Qing Dynasty,
Chinese famille-verte porcelain from the 1680s forward united dynamic design and
superior materials with confident execution. Authentic examples of famille verte
porcelain are extremely rare.14
The Chinese Kangxi famille-verte porcelain is inventive, creative, and with a
quality all of its own. The diversity of designs, the use of the verte enamel, and the wine
ewers complexity are to be marveled. Throughout the progression of the Qing Dynasty
12
Edith Frankel and James D. Frankel, “Wine and Spirits of the Ancestors”, (2001):
134-137.
13
Metropolitan Museum of Art, Asian Arts, 2008
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/09/eac/ho_61.200.66.htm (accessed
November 1, 2008).
14
Wood, Chinese Glazes, 1999: 240.
5
the designs generally became more detailed and delicate. The designs were often inspired
by the story of the “Gathering at the Lanting” which recalled the revival of the poets and
scholars lost in the joys of wine as a theme in painting, literature, and porcelain. The
Song Dynasty (A.D. 960 – 1279) was a period of creative artistic achievement in all the
arts, particularly calligraphy, painting, and most particularly, fine porcelains. This
tradition of gatherings and subject matter in art began near the end of the Song Dynasty
and was repeated in the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644). The potential of painting
porcelains and colored enamels, which were so effectively developed in the Ming
dynasty, were entirely exploited during the Qing period.15 It is probable that the wine
ewer’s design was inspired by these stories as the function of the wine ewer is to hold and
pour wine and the man portrayed on the central lozenge is portrayed seated in a garden,
perhaps pondering the arts that inspired the vessel he is embellishing.16
The Covered Ewer currently in the Asian Exhibit at the Chrysler Museum of Art
in Norfolk, Virginia is an extraordinary piece of Kangxi Period, Qing Dynasty, Chinese
porcelain art. Presently there is not a vast amount of information available for this
specific piece of artwork, however as summarized above there are several pieces of art
available to establish a better understanding of the wine ewer’s function, the relationship
of wine to the Chinese culture, the probable production location, and a more inclusive
description. The new title of “17th -18th Century Famille Verte Calligraphic Ewer,
Kangxi Period, Qing Dynasty (1662 – 1722) from ‘Jingdezhen kilns, China” would be a
descriptive and inclusive title fitting this extraordinary work of art.17
15
Metropolitan Museum of Art, Asian Arts, 2008.
16
Edith Frankel and James D. Frankel, “Wine and Spirits of the Ancestors”, (2001):
134.
17
Wood, Chinese Glazes, 1999: 240.
6
List Of Illustrations
Figure 1. Unknown, Chinese (1680-1720), Famille Jaune Wine Pot, Porcelain
Painted in Colored Enamels, OH 23.2 cm, Victoria and Albert Museum,
Asian collection, London England.
Figure 2. Unknown, Chinese (1911), Covered Ewer, Porcelain and Enamel, OH 9 ½
in, Chrysler Museum of Art, Asian Collection, Norfolk, Virginia.
Figure 3. Unknown (1875-1908), 19th Century Lime Green Calligraphic Ewer, OH
9 ¼” in, Vermeer & Griggs Specialists in Fine Chinese Ceramics Asian
Art, Atlanta, Georgia.
Figure 4. Unknown, Chinese (1875-1908), 19th Century Famille Noire Calligraphic
Ewer, OH 7 ¼ in, Vermeer & Griggs Specialists in Fine Chinese
Ceramics Asian Art, Atlanta, Georgia.
7
Figures
Figure 1
Covered Ewer, 1911, Porcelain and Enamel, OH 9 ½ in, Chrysler Museum of Art, Asian
Collection, Norfolk, Virginia.
Figure 2
19th Century Lime Green Calligraphic Ewer, 1875-1908, OH 9 ¼” in, Vermeer & Griggs
Specialists in Fine Chinese Ceramics Asian Art, Atlanta, Georgia.
8
Figure 3
19th Century Famille Noire Calligraphic Ewer, 1875-1908, OH 7 ¼ in, Vermeer &
Griggs Specialists in Fine Chinese Ceramics Asian Art, Atlanta Georgia.
Figure 4
Famille Jaune Wine Pot, 1680-1720, OH 23.2 cm, Victoria and Albert Museum, Asian
Collection, London, England.
9
Bibliography
Chrysler Museum of Art Library printout, accessed September 2008.
Elliott, Jeannette Shambaugh, and David Shambaugh. The Odyssey of China’s Imperial
Art. (Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 2005).
Emerson, Julie. Porcelain Stories: From China to Europe. (Seattle and London:
University of Washington Press, 2000).
Frankel, Edith and James D. Frankel. “Wine and Spirits of the Ancestors; Chinese
Vessels for Storing, Serving and Drinking Wine.” Arts of Asia, 31, no. 3 (2001):
132-137.
Jenynsk, Soame. Later Chinese Porcelain, 4th ed. (London: Faber and Faber, 1971).
Metropolitan Museum of Art, Asian Arts, 2008
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/09/eac/ho_61.200.66.htm (accessed
November 1, 2008).
O’Connell, Mark, and Raje Airey. The Complete Encyclopedia of Signs and Symbols.
(London: Hermes House, 2007).
Vermeer & Griggs Specialists in Fine Chinese Ceramics Asian Art. 2000-2008.
http://teadust.com/gallery/fn/fn_gu_400.httm, (accessed 6 September 2008).
Victoria and Albert Museum, Asian Collection, 2007,
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/objectid/O116735 (accessed 19 November 2008).
Wood, Nigel. Chinese Glazes: Their Origins, Chemistry, and Recreation. (London: A &
C Black and Philadelphia: University of Philadelphia, 1999).
