Vase with cloisonné enamel

Vase with globular body, long narrow neck, on a circular foot, made in cloisonné enamel. A pair of dragon-shaped handles adorn the long neck and give the piece a certain archaic taste. The enamel pieces during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) and especially during the reign of Qianlong (1736-1795), are characterized by the continuity and technical improvement of the Ming enamels (1368-1644), the use of bright colors in their decoration and the combination of archaizing forms similar to those of the funerary ritual bronzes. Sometimes they combine the most sophisticated forms of porcelain, such as vases and jars, with traditional decorations that synthesize the combination of rites characteristic of the reign of Qianlong (1736-1795). Thus, on the foot of the piece there is a border composed of inverted lotus leaves clearly reminiscent of Buddhism, a decoration of peonies on a background of clouds that recalls the decoration of Ming porcelain (1368-1644) on the globular body. The transition to the neck is marked by a strip with T motifs reminiscent of use on bronze mirrors of the Han dynasty (206 BC-280 AD), followed by the longitudinal development of a vegetal decoration on the neck of the piece. / 1992 catalog no.: 226 / Bibliography: CERVERA FERNÁNDEZ, I.: “Jarrón. Reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1736-1795). S. XVIII. China”, in LÓPEZ GUZMÁN, R.; RUIZ GUTIÉRREZ, A.; SORROCHE CUERVA, M.A. (Scientific Coord.): Oriente en Granada (Exhibition Catalogue). Granada, 2008, pp.: 44-45