Asian Arts | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries | Message Board

I'm looking for any information I can get on this Chinese vase. Measures 4.75"w x 4.75"d x 11.25"h. Thank you!

Dear Andrea

I suspect that both the black lines in the design and the red seal have been transfer printed on. Would be possible to look more closely at the black lines?

Given the transfer printing and the fine unspecked glaze inside the foot, I would say this is from at least some time into the 20th century. Maybe someone else can chime in.

Kind regards
J.Lim

Thanks for your response. See add'l pics; the design is done in overglaze, definitely not printed on.

Dear Andrea

Thank you for the larger image. I have stared my eyes out at the pictures and still can't tell for sure if there is transfer printing in the design.

I strongly suspect that the flowers (the difficult bit of the design I suppose) have had their outlines printed on. Can you see the greyish appearance of the black lines and how they overlap weirdly with the other lines?

Then the actual enamel work and stems and leaves were outlines in black by hand, possibly with something like a steel nib rather than a brush. Then the whole thing was enamelled by hand. This is what I strongly suspect.

Would it be possible to see an enlargement of the seal mark in the base? I am almost certain this is printed on; it would be easier to tell.

In any case, it is an attractive vase, and not really a "fake" as such; it is simply a nice, modern vase.

Kind regards
J.Lim

Thanks for taking the time to help me. Here is a close up picture of the stamp, as well as another close up picture of one of the flowers.

-Andrea

Dear Andrea

Thank you for the extra images, the red seal mark is definitely modern, since antique stamped marks would have looked totally different.

Oddly the flower is still ambiguous - have the black lines been transfer printed on? I strongly suspect that the flower has been transfer printed on, and then carefully gone over by hand to conceal the process. Some of the lines definitely look printed to me; others less so.

You can check out this link to another situation where I comment on a modern object where transfer printing has been carefully gone over to disguise it.

http://asianart.com/phpforum/index.php?method=detailAll&Id=74666

Kind regards
J.Lim

The mark says "Made at Jingdezhen" (Jingdezhen Zhi). Gotheborg.com carries this particular Jingdezhen mark as circa 1950. In my opinion, the design on this vase could have been laid down in black using transfers, with the color washes possibly added by hand.

Best regards,

Bill H.

Asian Arts | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries | Message Board