CHINE, Marque Jiaqing et possiblement d'époque

CHINA, Jiaqing mark and probably period Rare and important porcelain vase with mille-fleur decoration Of double-gourd form, the lower body globular and the upper body piriform, decorated throughout with famille rose polychrome enamels known as "mille-fleurs", the base and interior turquoise glazed, bearing a six-character Jiaqing mark in iron red under the base. Jiaqing mark in iron red under the base. Height : 30 cm Provenance: Private collection, Düsseldorf (Germany) Acquired on the Paris art market in the 1970s (by family tradition) The decoration applied on this piece - known as "mille-fleurs" or "wanhuajin" in Chinese (万 花锦, translating as "a myriad of flower brocade") - is a type of ornament extremely complex in its realization. Craftsmen at the imperial production workshops in Jingdezhen hand-painted and blew enamels all over the smooth surface of the pre-fired porcelain using a closed tube of gas. The enamels, in bright pastel colors borrowed from the "famille rose" palette, created a naturalistic decor that rendered the flowers depicted as faithfully as possible, with incisions and shading giving the decor depth. Chrysanthemums, corollas, magnolias, lilies, roses, lotuses, peonies and volubilis are superimposed on one another throughout the work, leaving no room for emptiness and creating an effect of abundance that can be appreciated from afar, in the shimmering appearance of the object, as well as up close, through the study of its most minute details. The flowers painted on the piece are not chosen at random: in addition to their beauty, their auspicious significance is an important dimension, with the chrysanthemum symbolizing perseverance and virtue, the magnolia representing feminine beauty and the peony, considered "the queen of flowers", evoking prosperity and happiness. The general shape of the vase-known as the double gourd or huluping or dajiping-also has a special symbolism. Taken from the shape of a cucurbit, which is preserved intact once dried, it signifies the oneness between heaven (represented by the upper pear-shaped belly) and earth (the globular belly), particularly symbolic for the Emperor, proclaimed as the Son of Heaven, as well as a wish for good fortune and fertility for its owner. Particularly appreciated at the court of the Qing dynasty emperors, this type of decoration was particularly popular for 18th-century pieces, and bears witness to the very high level of technical sophistication attained by imperial porcelain workshops during this period.