Antique Chinese Blue & White Bulb Pot, 19th Century

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Richly painted in the blue-and-white manner, this shallow porcelain dish is a 19th-century Chinese bulb pot, used for forcing flower … Read more Richly painted in the blue-and-white manner, this shallow porcelain dish is a 19th-century Chinese bulb pot, used for forcing flower bulbs such as narcissus or daffodils. Distinguished from bonsai pots by the lack of drainage holes, bulb pots such as this allowed florists to force bulbs into blossom in time with special occasions.

The small planter has a shallow, rectangular form with low feet and a flattened rim. Lines carved into the corners add a quatrefoil detail to the simple form. In contrast to the unfinished interior, the sides are painted with deep cobalt blue color to a pattern of floating clouds or leaves, brushed by hand with freeform movement. Possibly also used as an incense burner, the antique vessel is wonderful today as a tabletop planter for houseplants or ikebana arrangements. See less