Chinese porcelain hat stand

[Adriano]

I would like to have comment on this vase.
The decoration point to late Qianjiang period.
It seems that there is a cyclical date jia zi: 1924.
This date could be right for the painting style.

Thank you.

[Adriano]

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[peterp]

You are quite right regarding the cyclical year, but I think it is neither 1864 nor 1924. I believe the style is too late for the former and the latter year may be too late for the style.
I cannot read the characters behind the date, which likely is a name, but the characters before the cyclical year might be a hint...技上求友. These four characters are none of the usual words used in such a case.
Literally this can be translated as 'requesting help from friends regarding skill (or style)', but in English it might just mean 'style made after friends (other painters) example', meaning the painter copied others' works. As you know there are lots of this style of Qianjiang between the late 19th century and the early 20th century, showing bird and flowers in this specific colors and style, all made by different Qianjiang painters.
Occasionally republic period painters mention that they are copying someone else's work. I think the painter hints that he made this after (imitating) the works of others. In that case 1924 might be right as the actual year of painting. That is my assumption, what do you think?

[Adriano]

Hi Peter,
I think that your assumption is very reasonable.
There were not copyright protection, or was an honor for famous painters to be copied?
Thank you for the suggestion.

[peterp]

Artists in the Far East, including China, learned by copying the works of their masters, and then also those of others. Thus imitating others' works was normal, but not always was credit given for that. Also, apprentices did sometimes copy their master's works but the master would take credit by putting his seal on these.