Sleeve vase c. 1635 - 1650

This is a tall, cylindrical vase, likely from China, decorated with cobalt blue underglaze on white porcelain. The making of such a piece involves many hands. First, the kaolin clay would have been prepared, then carefully shaped on a wheel. After a bisque firing, a skilled painter would have applied the blue decoration, using refined cobalt oxide. The vase was then glazed and fired at high temperature. The result is a smooth, hard, and resonant surface, ideal for the delicate brushwork depicting a scholar's garden. These sleeve vases were popular export items, made in large quantities for the European market. The relative ease with which porcelain could be cleaned and its impermeability made it a popular and hygienic choice to display flowers. The production of porcelain like this was among the most sophisticated industrial systems of its day. So, next time you see a piece of porcelain, remember that it is not just an object of beauty, but also a testament to collective labor and global trade.