Vase with Plum Blossoms and Birds

late 19th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 200
Recent studies have suggested that large vases with black backgrounds such as this were produced in the late nineteenth century to meet rising demand from collectors in Europe and the United States. The resurgence of interest in vases with this color scheme remains difficult to explain; however, it may have been spurred by an interest in Japanese lacquer, which is also often characterized by the use of a black background.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Vase with Plum Blossoms and Birds
  • Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
  • Date: late 19th century
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Porcelain painted with colored enamels on the biscuit (Jingdezhen ware)
  • Dimensions: H. 28 in. (71.1 cm)
  • Classification: Ceramics
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913
  • Object Number: 14.40.399
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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