Mirror Pair of Cylindrical Vases/Hat Stands With Red Foo Lions With Other Colors

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Description

A mirror pair of Chinese Wucai porcelain cylinder vases or hat stands featuring hand-painted, vibrant iron-red, green, blue and yellow … Read more A mirror pair of Chinese Wucai porcelain cylinder vases or hat stands featuring hand-painted, vibrant iron-red, green, blue and yellow enameled Foo Dog (Lion) motifs.

The pieces feature iron-red enamel to depict the dominant adult lions, complemented by overglaze green, black, and blue enamels for the cubs and surrounding ribbons. Traditional calligraphy is written in ink near the top rim 太師少師 (Tài Shī Shào Shī) which spells out the auspicious phrase "Taishi Shaobao." This translates to "Grand Tutor and Junior Tutor." These represent some of the highest, most prestigious imperial official ranks in ancient China. This script directly explains the artwork painted below it. In Chinese decorative art, the phrase "太師少師" is a homophonic pun based on a play on words. The word for "Tutor" (師, shī) sounds exactly like the word for "Lion" (獅, shī).An adult Foo Dog (guardian lion) paired with its cub represents a "Grand Lion and Small Lion" which visually symbolizes "Grand Tutor and Junior Tutor."

The vases date from the early Republic period (late 19th to early 20th century). These cylindrical tubes were originally designed in the Qing Dynasty to hold the formal hats of court officials. By the late Qing and early Republic era, as fashion shifted, they evolved into decorative household items. They were commonly used as brush pots, vases, or arrow holders, and were traditionally displayed in pairs on scholarly desks, in living rooms, or given as part of a bridal dowry.

The foot is unglazed, of medium height and thickness, and rounded. The clay that is visible is neither super refined nor coarse, and is typical for vases from the early Republic era. There are remnants of wax export seals on the bottom of both.

Provenance: From the estate of Dr. Andres Onate, former Dean of East Asian Studies at the University of Arizona. Dr. Onate served in China for the US State Department in the early 1980s and again in the early 1990s. These items were purchased in Beijing c 1982.

MEASUREMENTS
Each vase measures - 4 ½ in (10.4 cm) diameter x 10 ¾ in (27.3 cm) tall. Total Weight 4 lbs 7.5 oz.

CONDITION
The vases/stands have no cracks or repairs. The enamels are bright and show minimal wear. They do have customary kiln flaws, such as black spots and a few pimples.

A distinguished pair of early Republic-period Chinese Wucai porcelain hat stands, richly decorated with auspicious guardian lions and scholarly symbolism, with an excellent provenance tracing to a former University of Arizona East Asian Studies dean and U.S. State Department service in China. See less