Wucai style vase

[Stan]

Hi Peter, here is another recent purchase, the guy I bought this from said that it was 19th century but I think more like republic period, the vase is 29.5 cm tall, please let me know what you think, thanks.

[Stan]

Here are more photo's to view.

[Stan]

Here are the last of the photo's, thanks for viewing.

[peterp]

That is a garlic vase.
I cannot see true colors, due to the lighting, but the blue is a bit bright, perhaps.
Basically, the shape is not the regular one, the top is larger than usual.
The base does not seem quite right for a traditional shape. But it is its color that is suspicious. You need to check bubbles, weight, etc. also.

[peterp]

Stan,
I think you are getting too decoration-oriented. That is dangerous because decorations are the items most easily copied, and while there was a general change of these in the 20th century, classical styles were still continued in parallel. So, we now can find new items painted in a pefect 19th century style, without any age signs or with fake signs. You need to include glaze, bottom, shape in your evaluations.

[kardinalisimo]

Peter, what is the deal with the bubbles?
I see on Chinese websites people posting magnified pictures of the bubbles but don't quite understand what it is about. I guess bubbles mean that the piece is aged but at least how old it has to be for them to appear.
I think I read before something about testing the bubbles in the glaze by placing the piece in a water but I think it was for older ware, Song glazes I think.

[peterp]

Nothing like that. The bubbles are water included in the glaze. Different eras have different bubbles. 20th century (modern) items have none or all very fine and uniform. That is all. In certain periods they may have been almost absent, but in others their absence can be a sign that the glaze is from a different era.

[Stan]

Hi Peter, the blue is darker than the pictures shown, I could not get the true blues to come out in the pictures, I think it was the lighting, it was cloudy and yes there is bubbles in the glaze and they appear larger around the under glaze blue, also in the blues there is rust spots that can only be seen with a 10X loop, the bottom looks a little odd to me, not like your traditional foot rim, did they do a bottom like this in the 19th century?

[Stan]

Hi Peter, here is one that sold at christies, a real one not like mine but the shape is pretty good, and so are the colors.