Rouleau form with fencai enamels

[Stan]

Hi Peter, here is another Vase I recently won at the local auction, it is 43.8 cm tall and all hand drawn, their is a slight stipple affect in some areas not all over in the white ground, I would like to know your opinion as to age, I think it would be Guangxu period late Qing but I am not sure, the bottom has bubble bursts and the foot is flat with rounded edges, It has been shaved on the outside bottom of the foot, thanks your expertise.

[Stan]

Here are more photo's to view.

[Stan]

Last photo, thanks again for all your help.

[peterp]

Guangxu should be no problem, Stan. However I'm not sure if it should be classified as fencai; it looks as if it could be Guangxu wucai colors. Is the surface of the colors flat, or uneven as with enamels. If it is the former it is more likely wucai.

[Stan]

Hi Peter, it is uneven as with enamels, so fencai made with glass would be flat?

[peterp]

No, uneven. The wucai colors were basically flat and had a completely even color tone, originally. With the fencai colors the color intensity could be varied resulting in lighter tones within the same area. That is why the Chinese also call them "soft colors". Wucai are basically "hard colors" and were the main color type until the Kangxi reign. Wucai got mostly replaced by fencai during the 18th century, but experienced some renaissance during the Guangxu reign.

[Stan]

Thanks Peter, that is good information, so this would be Fencai.

[Stan]

Here are some Photo's with the attempt to show the thickness of the enamels, I think the reason you thought Wucai is because the enamels are so thin they have a an even look, the artist used his enamels sparingly giving it that pastel look.

[peterp]

Fencai is more likely.