Baluster vase; China, Qing dynasty, 19th century.

Baluster vase; China, Qing dynasty, 19th century.
Blue and white glazed porcelain.
It presents apocryphal marks on the base "Chenghua".
Measurements: 18,5 x 11,5 x 11,5 cm.
Baluster vase made in blue and white enameled porcelain representing a scene of courtly theme. This is a style known as "Blue and White Ceramics" characterized by underglaze decoration with blue pigments, usually cobalt oxide, on a white background. The Long Eliza design became popular in the Netherlands in the late 19th and early 20th centuries thanks to the chinoiserie trend. European porcelain manufacturers copied this design from the Kangxi period (1662-1722).
The Ching or Qing Dynasty, also known as the Manchu Dynasty, was the last of the Chinese imperial dynasties. Founded in the current 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 during all 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.