Collect Chinese Antique Vases of Different Shapes to Enrich your Ceramic Collection
Antique ceramic pieces are admired worldwide for their beauty, rarity, and attached emotion that can be passed down to future generations.
Richard Peter’s collection draws upon the Founder’s heritage and passion for the Chinese work of art. Inspired by family heirlooms and a love of ancient antiques from China, they have been dealing with Chinese Antique vases and porcelain for three long decades.
Over the centuries Chinese ceramics have been crafted in a wide variant of shapes. Some shapes and curves on the ceramics were inspired by the bronze casting or jade carvings from the Ming period. Throughout the history, the shape, the quality, the craving, colour, and the imperial mark have been evolved.
Coming to the shape, there are around 20 basic shapes of Chinese antique vases. We have listed down four demanding shapes that people have been appreciating since ages.
1. Pear-Shaped Chinese Antique vaseA pear-shaped vase is characterized by a slightly flared rim, a straight elongated neck with a broadening base, a voluptuous round bottom, and a thin foot ring. These majestic-shaped Chinese antique vases were first used to hold water at temples during the Tang dynasty. The shape was popularized and also used as wine vessels during the Song dynasty. Usually, a solid base colour is used to enhance the royalty of this shape.
2. A Double Gourd VasesDuring the Southern Song dynasty, the shape of the double gourd was derived from the gourd plant itself. Gourds were considered to be a fertility symbol and have healing properties. At that time, most of the double gourd vases represented Daoism emblem of immortality. Double gourd Wucai vases are one of the top-selling products of Richard Peter Collections. The lower bulb is enameled with two lions spaced by large lotus flowers and scrolling foliage and the upper body is decorated by lotus, bands of cracked-ice, and lappet patterns.
3. A Chinese blue and white moon flaskMoon flasks were first crafted and made its entry into real-life usage during the Ming dynasty (13681644). The shape was inspired by Middle Eastern vessels of silver and gold. With a rectangular foot rim as the pedestal, it features a circular flattened body, a narrow cylindrical neck, a flat base, two arched handles on both sides. Porcelain flask of baoyueping form is generally painted with a stylized bunch of lotus flower heads and foliage.
4. A Double Phoenix VaseDouble phoenix vases were mainly used in the Yuan Dynasty. The classic and elegant shaped Chinese vases are usually adorned with Chinese traditional artistic concept symbolizing meaning stories. In Richard Peter’s double phoenix vase collection, a beautiful white piece is there that is decorated with a wide band of two Phoenix of Buddhist lions and waves amongst ruyi-form clouds, and the neck was painted with a dense design of peony scroll. This vase is apt for decorating living rooms, placing dried flowers, and using it as a showpiece on desktops, etc.
To sum up, while every dynasty has its style and preference of shapes, the mentioned four shapes are quite common and always in high demand among the Chinese antique ceramics lovers world-wide. Though it will be hard to get all these four shapes of the finest quality, undamaged Chinese antique vases, it will be timeless artistry to invest in. However, minor defects are acceptable if anyone keens to own a varied collection to showcase the Chinese craftsmanship.