171 - A CHINESE PALE CELADON-GLAZED SQUARE-SECTION VASE, QING DYNASTY

A CHINESE PALE CELADON-GLAZED SQUARE-SECTION VASE, QING DYNASTY Dimensions: Height 18,2 cm Wide 12 cm Depth 12 cm Weight: 887 grams A Qing-dynasty vase of square section, its compressed body rising from a short square foot to a gently waisted neck and slightly everted square mouth. The potting softens the transitions between the four planes, balancing the geometric construction with rounded shoulders and fluid contours. A pale bluish-green celadon glaze covers the vessel, thinning along projecting edges and gathering more deeply in recessed areas. Monochrome celadon vessels relied on proportion, tactile surface and subtle changes of glaze rather than pictorial decoration. The square form adds a deliberate tension between symmetry and softness: each face reads as a calm plane, while the rounded junctions prevent the object from appearing rigid. A fine network of crackle and small tonal variations animate the otherwise restrained surface. The largely unglazed foot and base reveal the buff ceramic body and provide a material counterpoint to the cool celadon glaze above.