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489.
VASE
PORCELAIN DECORATED IN
FAMILLE ROSE
ENAMELS
QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795), CA. 1740
ARMS: ORDER OF ST. FRANCIS
HEIGHT: 23.5 CM; RIM DIAMETER 7.7 CM;
FOOT DIAMETER 10.4 CM
INV. NO. 53
Vase with tall, domed foot, narrowing to a
raised ring, then widening below a very
bulbous body, which looks like a flat disc,
above which is a tall neck, also waisted and
with a ring, widening towards an everted rim
forming a large lip which then turns in to
form a raised lipped rim. This vase appears to
be made from two similar high stemmed
bowls, one inverted on top of the other and
joined at the rim, the seam visible round the
middle.
Very heavily potted in porcelain and coated
with a bluish glaze, except for the base of
the foot, which burned yellow in the firing.
The decoration is painted in
famille rose
enamels: pink, green, yellow, white, blue and
black. Round the bulbous middle, a white
ground strewn with leaves and large pink
flowers tinged with white, which include
chrysanthemums (judging from the leaves) or
peonies and lotus, in the centre of which is a
white reserve framed by pink foliage, with
the heraldic insignia of the Order of St.
Francis: on a rocky mount azure, a Latin cross
Or; naissant from lateral formations
representing clouds, two arms in saltire
vested azure, the sinister surmounting the
dexter, suspended by the hands carnation
from the cross. 1
The flared sections of the foot and neck are
decorated with acanthus leaves each
surmounted by a flower head. The upper part
of the foot and the shoulder are decorated
with lappet-shaped panels with lotus flowers
on a blue ground. On the foot and neck
rings, a pink band with an iron red flower
head diaper motif. There is a serrated border
round the foot, and of
ruyi
heads below the
rim, both in iron red.
The emblem that decorates this vase,
representing the Order of Friars Minor, is
somewhat inaccurate. The Calvary cross
proper (that is, in natural colours, standing
on a pedestal with three steps or set on a
mount vert) is shown here in Or, with three
fleury extremities. The arms, of which the
dexter (of the Crucified), bare and carnation,
crosses over the sinister (of the Poverello of
Assisi) vested, are displayed here both vested
in azure and the sinister arm crossing over
the dexter arm. Finally, the hands, which are
nailed to the cross, the dexter palm bearing
the crucifixion wound, and the sinister
bearing the stigmata wound, in this vase are
represented suspended, displaying the back
of the hand, without wounds. Normally the
Franciscan insignia display one bare arm
(that of the Crucified), and one clothed arm
(that of St. Francis), whereas here they both
have blue sleeves.
The correct heraldic description of the Order
of St. Francis of Assisi is: heater shield:
argent, on a mount vert a Calvary cross
proper, two arms in saltire issuant from
clouds on the flanks and placed on the
horizontal arm of the cross, the dexter arm
bare and carnation (that of Jesus Christ), and
the sinister arm vested with habit azure
(that of St. Francis of Assisi), and each hand
pierced with a wound gules.
This vase was commissioned for a convent or
monastery of the Order of St. Francis, which
it is not possible to identify, and was
probably intended to display altar flowers.
There is a similar vase in the Nuno Álvares
Pereira de Castro Collection, 2 and another in
a private collection. 3
1 Heraldic description by MLCB.
2 Morna
et al
., 1997, p. 112, no. 47.
3 Castro, 1987, p. 86.
188 .
ARMORIAL CHINESE EXPORT PORCELAIN