A decorative, early 17th Century (c1620) Chinese famille verte jar and cover

Peony (Chinese)

The peony is one of the symbols of China, the name in Chinese translates to most beautiful and it is often used in important and religious ceremonies as it has connotations of royalty and honour.

Transitional Porcelain 

The transitional period in Chinese porcelain refers to the fifty years gap in Imperial patronage of the Jingdezhen kilns, it occurred between 1620-1683, the end of the Ming and start of the Qing Dynasties. Without royal patronage the income for a large number of skilled artisans was uncertain, so they turned their skills to appealing to the foreign markets as never before. What resulted was the most dynamic and influential period in Chinese ceramic history. Although many earlier works hark back to traditional Ming style, mid and later works are very commercial, to appeal to specific countries needs, such as items for the tea ceremony in Japan and tulip decoration specifically for the Dutch market. Possibly the most sought after examples are what is known as ‘High Transitional’ this beautiful and distinctive dark blue and white porcelain is finely potted and painted with skill not often seen in export pieces. It was in the Chinese taste and often features figures in mountain or river landscape scenes, despite this, it was incredibly popular with export markets and the majority was immediately exported. The influence of this style, sometimes referred to as ‘violets in milk’, can be seen in later Kangxi works.

Famille Verte

Famille Verte is a style of Chinese porcelain decoration that uses a palette of greens.