Chinese Export Five Piece Famille Rose Porcelain Garniture

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Chinese Chic: Qianlong Famille Rose Garniture Set (c. 1760)

This impressive Set of Five Chinese Export Porcelain Garniture pieces, dating … Read more Chinese Chic: Qianlong Famille Rose Garniture Set (c. 1760)

This impressive Set of Five Chinese Export Porcelain Garniture pieces, dating to the Qianlong Period, Circa 1760, is a classic example of decorative porcelain commissioned for the European market. The set comprises three covered baluster jars and two beaker vases.

The garniture is richly painted in the vibrant Famille Rose palette, featuring a dense, all−over floral pattern interspersed with auspicious objects or scholars’ implements, such as scrolls and censers.

Dimensions: Covered vases 9 1/4 inches high x 3 1/2 inches wide; Trumpet vases: 7 3/16 inches high x 3 3/4 inches wide.

Key decorative elements include:

Color Scheme: The decoration primarily uses pink (derived from gold), green, iron-red, and blue enamels.

Borders: The flared necks, shoulders, and bases of all five pieces feature complex decorative borders, often in blue and pink scale or honeycomb patterns, adding textural contrast.

Lids: The three covered jars are topped with finials, completing the elegant, uniform look of the set.

Dimensions: The pieces stand approximately 12 to 13 inches high (estimated based on typical proportions for a garniture).

Historical Context: The Qianlong Garniture and European Display
The Grand Statement
This garniture set was created during the Qianlong Reign (1736–1795), the peak era for Chinese Export porcelain. These sets of three, five, or seven pieces were not intended for practical use but were designed explicitly for display in affluent European homes. They were typically placed on top of furniture, such as cabinets, overmantels, or corner cupboards, to create a dramatic and symmetrical show of wealth.

The Famille Rose Palette
By the mid-18th century, the Famille Rose palette was the dominant style for Chinese export wares. Its opulence, range of colors, and ability to achieve delicate shading made it immensely popular with Western collectors who prized the dense, highly ornamental style.

The Five-Piece Garniture
The arrangement of three covered jars and two beaker vases (called vases à oreilles or eared vases in French inventories) was the favored form for European display. It allowed for perfect symmetry and offered the maximum decorative impact, satisfying the era's taste for structured, formal interiors and cementing the owner's status as a participant in the global luxury trade.

References
Display Form: The arrangement of three covered jars and two beaker vases is a classic form dictated by 18th-century European interior design and symmetry principles, intended for display on mantelpieces and cabinets.

Auspicious Motifs: The presence of auspicious objects and implements within the floral pattern is a common feature in mid-18th century Chinese decoration, conveying wishes for good fortune and scholarly success.

(Ref: NY10299-knrr) See less