Pitcher with spout; China, Qing dynasty, 19th century.

Pitcher spout; China, Qing dynasty, nineteenth century.
Glazed and partially gilded porcelain.
Pouring spout remade later.
Measurements: 22 x 19 x 12 cm.
Pitcher with spout made of glazed porcelain and partially gilded. The piece presents an ornamentation based on bands of color with cartouches and bands of white background with vegetal elements as ornamentation. The decoration of the base with gilded motifs and the spout of the jar, which serves as a base for a human face, stand out. The Ching or Qing Dynasty, also known as the Manchu Dynasty, was the last of the Chinese imperial dynasties. Founded in the present-day northeast of the country by the Manchu clan in 1644, its rule ended with the abdication of the last Emperor in 1912 by the Xinhai Revolution and the establishment of the Republic of China, maintaining the capital in Beijing throughout this time. In general, traditional art forms flourished in many different and varied levels and formats, thanks to a highly educated upper class, a thriving publishing industry of books, pamphlets, etc., really prosperous cities, and the Confucian emphasis on cultivating the mind. Although the Emperors themselves were, on many occasions, outstanding artists (especially in painting), the best works were carried out by schoolchildren and the urban elite.