An art vase of the Early Republic of China era by a famous porcelain artist Wang Chi (1884-1937). The decoration was done in the literati art style, showing a scholar reading and with a colophon on one side. Signature & seals of the artist. Also a personal seal of the artist on the bottom of the vase. The free flowing style of Wang is very similar to the brush paintings of Shi Lu, one of the great early 20th century Chinese artists.
Vase about xx" high x xx" diameter; No chips hairlines or cracks. Enamel & gold in good condition. An excellent signed example by this artist from the Early Republic Era. See marks in Hong Kong Museum's book "Brush & Clay"
Also in this period, there was a movement to extend the traditional fine arts (literati art) to the sphere of high crafts, of which porcelain was the most prominent. Accordingly many outstanding "artists" who painted porcelain were recognized & became quite well known. The porcelain of this period was of outstanding quality & variety, and the artistic expression was also of exceptional order. There are avid collectors of this period in Asia. There are even some very good books on the subject, including Gunhild Avitabile's "From the Dragon's Treasure" and Hong Kong Museum of Art's "Brush & Clay, Chinese Porcelain of the Early 20th Century". The period from about 1900-1940 was tumultuous in China. But it was also a period in which many of the arts flourished. I'll be listing a few interesting items from this distinctive era. Please keep tuned if you like the subject. And of course email is always welcome whether you agree or disagree. Porcelain from this period can be bought very reasonably. And except for the dinner services, nothing was made in huge quantities. Indeed many were unique.
