Quadrangular Vase on Pyramidal Base, Delicate Green Ground, Plate 1911

An original color plate of 1911 from Gorer and Blacker's book of Chinese ceramic art, this sheet is given over to a quadrangular vase with a pyramidal base and handles, on a delicate green ground. The large panels carry prunus, peony, lotus and chrysanthemum for the four seasons, with perched and flying birds and insects among the flowers, and the small base panels show wild flowers in enamels and iron red. The rims are unglazed biscuit and the handles yellow over biscuit; the authors call the ground almost unique. Gorer and Blacker describe it as Ming period and record it as from the collection formed by Richard Bennett; height 22 1/4 inches (57 cm), width 7 7/8 inches (20 cm).

Chinese Porcelain and Hard Stones appeared in 1911 under the imprint of Bernard Quaritch, 11 Grafton Street, New Bond Street, London. Edgar Gorer and J. F. Blacker illustrated two hundred and fifty four pieces across two volumes, every one of them given a full page color plate printed from a photograph. Volume I, from which this sheet comes, runs from Plate 1 to Plate 135. The plates are color collotypes, and the book records that it was produced and printed by the Menpes Printing and Engraving Company of London and Watford.

The plates were printed in color from photographs of the pieces, so the black and green grounds, the iron red and the white of the porcelain are recorded directly rather than drawn by an artist. A plate from this book reads as a record of an object rather than as a decorative picture of one.

Even age toning. A few small foxing spots in the margin. All four corners complete. Several larger brown marks.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.