"Punch bowl"; China, Qing dynasty Quianlong period 1735 - 1796.

"Punch bowl"; China, Qing dynasty Quianlong Period 1735 - 1796.
Glazed and partially gilded porcelain.
It presents losses in the polychrome.
Measurements: 13 x 32,5 x 32,5 cm.
Bowl or Punch Bowl, manufactured in glazed Chinese porcelain during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, one of the eras of greatest technical, artistic and commercial apogee in the history of Chinese ceramics. Crafted between 1735 and 1796, this object combines aesthetic refinement, technical complexity and social function, making it a tangible testimony to the power and sophistication of Chinese imperial art for foreign trade.
The bowl, of generous dimensions, exhibits a delicately turned body covered with a meticulous decoration made in the technique of enameling on white porcelain, known as famille rose (pink family), a chromatic innovation that reached its peak precisely during the reign of Qianlong. This technique allowed for a softer and more modulated palette, particularly in the pink, lilac, green and gold tones, achieving subtle transitions and great pictorial expressiveness.
The exterior decoration depicts a courtly-inspired narrative scene, probably based on a literary story or genre scene, in which elegantly attired human figures are arranged in a stylized architectural and natural landscape. Compositions of this type were common in porcelain destined for the European market, as Western consumers appreciated both the exotic quality of the material and the decorative and narrative nature of its motifs. The minuteness of the faces, the folds of the garments and the delicacy of the trees and architectural structures are indicative of work executed by specialized painters within the imperial workshops or in high-level manufactories in Jingdezhen.