Dynasty Blue-and-White Double-Gourd Vase with Continuous Gourd Vines

拍品描述

Dimensions 46 cm (approximately 18.11 in); Yuan Dynasty, 13th–14th centuryCondition and Provenance in well-preserved condition, retaining the complete double-gourd profile, narrow waist, mouth, and broad lower body. The cobalt decoration remains clear and well defined, ranging naturally from softer gray-blue to saturated indigo and deeper blue in areas of heavier pigment concentration, with localized firing-related diffusion and tonal variation. The glaze has a smooth, mellow surface with minor wear, light staining, and traces consistent with long-term handling and display. The unglazed sanded base shows pronounced circular trimming marks, old earthen deposits, staining, and natural contact wear. From a private collection in New York, United States, with a history of family ownership overseas.Description large Yuan-period double-gourd vase stands 46 cm high and combines one of the most recognizable Chinese vessel forms with a fully integrated decorative theme. The shape is built around two rounded sections: a smaller upper bulb and a much fuller lower body, joined by a narrow waist that gives the silhouette its unmistakable rhythm. The mouth is simple and upright, the upper body compact and swelling, and the lower body broad, rounded, and visually substantial. At more than 18 inches high, the vase has enough scale to function as a major display object, yet the naturally curving profile keeps the form graceful rather than heavy. The entire surface is painted with continuous gourd vines. Rather than dividing the vase into formal decorative registers, the painter allows the vines, leaves, tendrils, and fruit to travel freely over both sections of the vessel. That approach works especially well on a double-gourd form because the decoration feels as though it is actually growing across the surface. On the smaller upper bulb, curling stems move around the shoulder and neck, supporting broad serrated leaves and hanging gourds of different sizes. Some fruit is rounded and full, while other examples narrow sharply at the neck or tilt to one side. The fruit is outlined in deeper cobalt and filled with softer washes, giving each gourd visible volume. The leaves are particularly expressive. Their serrated edges are clearly defined, and fine interior lines describe the veins and folded surfaces. Some leaves are fully open, others partially turned, and smaller young leaves appear near the ends of the branches. Thin tendrils curl into loops and S-shaped spirals, adding a lighter, more calligraphic movement to the composition. The decoration continues across the narrow waist rather than being interrupted by a border. This creates an important sense of continuity between the two halves of the vase. On the broad lower body, the vines have much more room to expand. Large gourds hang between dense groups of foliage, while thick main stems travel diagonally and horizontally around the vessel. Secondary shoots branch outward and fill the larger spaces with leaves, buds, and curling tendrils. The composition is full but not crowded. Areas of pale glaze remain visible between the branches and fruit, allowing the individual forms to stay readable and keeping the pattern from becoming visually flat. The cobalt has a lively tonal range. Fine dark lines are used for stems, veins, edges, and contouring, while broader washes fill the leaves and gourds. In some places the pigment develops into a strong indigo; in others it softens to a cooler gray-blue. Slight natural diffusion around heavier passages gives the painting a softer hand-painted character and prevents the outlines from feeling mechanical. The contrast between saturated foliage and pale glazed ground gives the piece immediate visual clarity even from a distance. One of the strongest aspects of the design is the way it responds to the shape of the vessel. The upper bulb carries a tighter, more compact version of the vine pattern, while the larger lower body allows the same subject to open up and breathe. The result is unified without being repetitive. The narrow waist creates a natural pause, but because the vines continue visually across it, the entire vase still reads as one connected decorative field. The gourd itself carries especially favorable associations in Chinese culture. The word hulu is closely associated with the sounds of “fortune” and “official emolument,” and the plant’s abundant fruit and endlessly extending vines traditionally suggest prosperity, long life, fertility, continuity, and flourishing descendants. On this vase, that symbolism is doubled because the vessel itself takes the form of a gourd while its surface is covered with additional gourds growing on continuous vines. The relationship between shape and decoration is unusually direct and gives the object a complete symbolic identity. The glaze has a soft bluish-white tone and a naturally mellow luster. It provides a calm ground for the darker cobalt and allows the detailed foliage to remain highly legible. The vessel is designed to be seen in the round. There is no single fixed front. As the vase is turned, new gourds, leaves, branches, and tendrils appear one after another, creating a continuous panoramic effect. From across a room, the viewer first reads the double-gourd silhouette and the strong blue-and-white contrast. Up close, the small details—leaf veins, curling tendrils, changes in brush pressure, and subtle shifts in cobalt density—become much more apparent. The underside is broadly unglazed and reveals a substantial pale buff-to-gray ceramic body. Concentric trimming and finishing marks remain visible across the base, together with old staining, earthen deposits, and natural contact wear. The rugged sanded underside provides a strong physical contrast with the smooth glazed and painted exterior and reinforces the sense of a large, heavily potted ceramic vessel. From an American collecting perspective, the vase has immediate visual and decorative appeal. Its nearly 18-inch height gives it real presence, while the double-gourd silhouette is instantly recognizable and unusually sculptural. The continuous vine pattern offers both strong symbolism and lively surface movement. The classic blue-and-white palette allows the piece to work equally well in a traditional Asian-art setting or against a clean contemporary interior. Whether placed on a pedestal, console, display cabinet, or architectural niche, it has the scale, form, and graphic strength to serve as a distinctive centerpiece.

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