Violet Famille Rose Floral Case with the Ta-ya Studio Mark

Tags: ceramics | National Palace Museum | vessel

 

Kuang-hsu Reign (1875-1908), Ch'ing Dynasty (1644-1911)
Height: 19.5 cm, rim diameter: 29.5 cm 
 
In the late Ch'ing dynasty, the Tz'u-hsi Dowager Empress controlled the court for a long period of time. Many people have heard stories of her sumptuous lifestyle and how she admired jadeite. Many do not realize, however, that the opulent porcelains with the mark "Ta-ya Studio" were made for her imperial use. These works with the "Ta-ya Studio" mark, though they follow the use of enamel colors from the High Ch'ing, have an arrangement of colors that is even more striking. For example, violet was previously often used to paint patterns but not as a background color. However, this violet famille rose floral case boldly does so. Combined with the red flowers and green leaves, the colors are indeed quite striking and would indeed appear to echo the opulent lifestyle of the Dowager Empress Tz'u-hsi.

Text: Shih Ching-fei

 
Text and images are provided by National Palace Museum