Vase of the Rosa Family. China, ca.1920-50. Lot n° 47

Vase of the Rosa Family. China, ca.1920-50. Glazed porcelain. Measurements: 41.5 x 25 x 25 cm. Rose Family style vase, with body and lid decorated with a representation of a typical Chinese folk scene: elegant ladies enjoying nature, next to a cherry tree in autumn time. The Rose Family style originated at the end of the Kagnxi period, emperor of the Qing dynasty who reigned between 1662 and 1722. The new ornamental style is based on the introduction of new enamels, the most famous of which is pink, which will give its name to the style. Other new colors are also added, such as opaque yellow, white and the now independent black (until then, to fix the black glaze, it had to be covered with a glaze of another color, usually translucent green). Technically, the most important is opaque white, since 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 Pink Family is not, therefore, the predominance of that color, but this new polychrome. The new style led to the abandonment of the one that predominated until then, the Green Family, characterized by the abundance of this color and the use of more watery glazes.