Rare 19th C Chinese Pierced Molded Tall Vases-Stands

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Talk about two fabulous finds in one! 's a towering pair of 19th century Chinese provincial porcelain vases, one virtually in original condition and the other almost as fine, save a restuck and repainted chip on the upper rim. Technically, the palette is famille rose on turquoise ground, due to the obvious pink presence; however, the side panels are painted on the lightly glazed biscuit in what primarily are famille verte hues, which colors and painting technique both pay homage to 18th century porcelains. When properly apposed, the slab-molded, neatly reticulated and hand-detailed sidewalls of the vases offer more or less mirror image glimpses into the lives and loves of legendary beauties. These minyao or popular wares compare well in their imposing height, square bodies and trumpet mouths to other higher grade pieces produced with classical motifs during the last decades of the Qing Dynasty. Both vases are impressed on their bases with apocryphal Qing marks, the one on the right being of the Qianlong Reign (1736-95), and the one on the left having that of the Kangxi Period (1662-1722). Remarkably, they also still have their original hand-carved wooden stands, one with an ancient handwritten Chinese label in translatable condition, appropriately indicating this is a "Stand for a square porcelain vase embossed with famed beauties in lovely gardens" ( Dui Ci Ren Wu Yao Yuan Ai Fang Bing Zuo ). Significantly, t is no sign of post-1890 export markings in English, another clue suggesting to us that the vases were made before that time. Judging from essential porcelain quality, these vases likely were produced by private kilns in the vicinity of Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, or Dehua, Fujian Province, for domestic sale or Southeast Asian export markets. SIZE: Without its wooden stand, each vase is approximately 16.5 inches (about 42 centimeters) high. Both are about 5.25 inches square at the shoulder, 4 3/8 inches at the foot, and have upper rim diameters of around 4 5/8 inches. Seated on the stand, vase height increases to about 19.25 inches.CONDITION: The vase shown on the right in relevant split images is free of cracks, major chips, restoration or any other significant condition issues that we can detect. The vase shown on the left in split images had sustained damage to the edge of the mouth rim, the piece or pieces of which damage were soundly cemented before the affected and adjacent areas were repainted. The body of this vase appears to be damage-free below the luting line that joins its lower neck and shoulder. However, the cylinder within its reticulated walls has not been tested for water-tightness so as not to inflict possible damage to restored surfaces. Both vases exhibit normal wear and the kind of small flaws that are manifest in traditional porcelain production, to include some inconsequential biscuit and enamel flakes, apparent kiln or environmental stains, runs in the colored enamels and the irregularities in molding and luting. Both of the otherwise handsome stands have cracks, as shown, and one has a small chip of wood glued back in its place on the upper rim. All significant damage to the wood is age-related and generally confined to the platforms. Both stands still retain an amazingly high degree of structural integrity, considering each vase weighs upwards of eight pounds. Please examine our images carefully. We try to provide higher resolution images responsive to individual needs when requested in time for the consignor or seller to comply.FYI: Please remember, our description and its assumptions regarding the lot for sale are based on the best resources available while the listing is in preparation. To maximize bidder advantages, the text is supplemented by photos meant to afford visual perspectives approximating those of an on-site preview as closely as is possible in this venue and format. The seller would be happy to try to clarify information and provide additional images if requests are received in time to comply. Meanwhile, please read the listing carefully... read more

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