Vase of the Rosa Family. China, 1920-50

Rose Family Vase. China, 1920-50.
Enamelled porcelain.
Measurements: 41.5 x 25 x 25 cm.
Vase in the Rose Family style, with body and lid decorated with a representation of a typical Chinese genre scene: elegant ladies enjoying nature, next to a cherry tree in autumn weather.
The Rose Family style originated at the end of the Kagnxi period, the Qing dynasty emperor who reigned from 1662 to 1722. The new ornamental style is based on the introduction of new enamels, the most famous of which is pink, after which the style is named. Other new colours were also added, such as opaque yellow, white and the now independent black (until then, in order to fix the black glaze, it had to be covered with a glaze of another colour, usually translucent green). Technically, the most important is opaque white, as it could be mixed with other glazes to achieve a wide range of pastel shades, as well as allowing a smooth tonal gradation that made it possible to successfully imitate Western painting. What defines the Rose Family, therefore, is not the predominance of this colour, but this new polychrome. The new style led to the abandonment of the previously predominant Green Family, characterised by the abundance of this colour and the use of more watery glazes.