Brussels - Ceramics

Japanese Satsuma vases from the circa 1930-1940 period are a particular style of ceramic art that originated from the Satsuma province of Japan. Satsuma ware is renowned for its intricate hand-painted designs, rich colors, and distinctive crackled glaze. Satsuma ware dates back to the early 17th century, but it gained widespread popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the 1930s and 1940s. Satsuma vases produced during this time often reflected a mix of traditional and modern influences, as Japan went through a period of cultural exchange and artistic experimentation. Satsuma vases are made from a type of Japanese earthenware clay known for its fine texture and malleability. The vases are hand-formed or wheel-thrown and then meticulously hand-painted with intricate designs using enamel paints. The distinctive crackled glaze was achieved by firing the vases at a relatively low temperature, allowing the glaze to crack during the cooling process. The moriage technique involves applying three-dimensional, raised ornamentation to the surface of the ceramic piece, creating a visually textured and layered effect. Artisans create three-dimensional patterns, designs, or intricate motifs using a special mixture of clay, slip, or porcelain paste. The raised elements are added by hand to the ceramic body, and each detail is carefully shaped to achieve the desired effect. The moriage is then gold gilded as some of the intricate ornamental patterns and the halos around the three immortal...

Chinese turquoise-colored porcelain foo dogs from circa 1880 are exquisite examples of traditional Chinese ceramic art. Foo dogs, also known as guardian lions or temple lions, are ic...

Faux bamboo Chinese vases were a type of decorative art that emerged during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) in China. These porcelain vases were designed to mimic the appearance of bamboo, a plant highly regarded in Chinese culture for its resilience, elegance, and symbolism. Bamboo is associated with attributes such as flexibility, strength, and modesty, making it a popular motif in Chinese art. In the Qing Dynasty the color yellow held significant symbolism and represented imperial authority, power, and the emperor himself. Yellow was considered the most sacred and prestigious color in Chinese culture, and it had strong associations with the emperor's position as the Son of Heaven and the ruler of all under heaven. The marks at the bottom of the vases indicate that these were crafted more specifically during the Tongzhi period – an emperor who reigned from 1861 to 1875, which effectively lasted nthrough his adolescence and was largly overshadowed by the rule of his mother, Empress Dowager Cixi. Although he had little influence over state affairs, the events of his reign gave rise to what historians call the “Tongzhi Restoration”, an unsuccessful modernization program. The polychrome enamels representing on one vase a traditional Chinese kite...