Square vase with flowers of four seasons
Unknown Artist
late 17th–early 18th century
Medium
Porcelain painted in polychrome enamels over black ground (Jingdezhen ware, famille noire)
Dimensions
H. 19 1/2 in. (49.5 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
China · Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Kangxi period (1662–1722)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913
Accession Number
14.40.428
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant square vase, standing 19½ inches tall, originates from Jingdezhen, China's renowned porcelain capital, during the Kangxi period (2–1722) of the Qing dynasty. Craft in the late 17th to early 18th century it features porcelain painted in vibrant polychrome enamels over a glossy black ground—a style known as *famille noire*. The vase's square form and decoration of flowers representing the four seasons evoke the beauty of nature, a symbolizing harmony and completeness in Chinese culture. *Familie noire* ware marked a pinnacle of technical innovation at Jingdezhen's imperial kilns, w...