A Cantonese famille rose porcelain floor vase mid 19th century…
click the photo to enlarge
A Cantonese famille rose porcelain floor vase mid 19th century decorated with painted scenes depicting exotic birds, figurative subjects and butterflies with gold gilded handles and mythical dragon mounts height 61.5 cm

You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.

Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item

When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

This item has been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.
  • Gilding - Gilding is a method of ornamentation whereby a thin sheet of gold metal is applied to items made of wood, leather, ceramics, glass and silver for decorative purposes.

    For furniture including mirrors, the sheet of gold is usually applied over a coating of gesso. Gesso is a mixture of plaster of Paris and gypsum mixed with water and then applied to the carved wooden frames of mirrors and picture frames as a base for applying the gold leaf. After numerous coats of gesso have been applied, allowed to dry and then sanded a coat of "bole", a usually red coloured mixture of clay and glue is brushed on and allowed to dry, after which the gold leaf is applied. Over time parts of the gilding will rub off so the base colour can be seen. In water gilding, this was generally a blue colour, while in oil gilding, the under layer was often yellow. In Victorian times, gilders frequently used red as a pigment beneath the gold leaf.

    Metal was often gilded by a process known as fire gilding. Gold mixed with mercury was applied and heated, causing the mercury to evaporate, the long-term effect of which was to kill or disable the craftsman or woman from mercury poisoning. The pursuit of beauty has claimed many victims, not the least of which were the artists who made those pieces so highly sought after today.

This item has been included into following indexes:

Visually similar items

A Chinese famille rose floor vase, early 20th century, a baluster vase with a trumpet neck, applied chilongs and twin dogs of fo lug handles, decorated with shaped cartouches populated with flora and fauna, on a pink ground profusely decorated with flowers

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

An impressive pair of fine quality large Chinese 19th century porcelain painted enamel vases with twin fo dog and ball handles and relief baby dragon decoration. Extremely well painted with a continuous procession of warriors, court figures and children in

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

Monumental pair of Chinese famille rose porcelain vases, 20th century, depicting in bright coloured enamel the legend of the 108 Stars of Destiny from the Chinese novel written by Shui Hu Zhuan, on carved wooden stands (2), height 168 cm. Provenance: colle

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

19th century Cantonese famille rose baluster vase. Height 36 cm

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.