A 19th Century Qing Dynasty Pair of Blue Ground Porcelain Beaker Vases

A 19th century pair of porcelain beaker vases, the bodies decorated with white stylised flowers upon a rich blue ground.

The Chinese ‘beaker’ or ‘gu’ vase found it origins in the Bronze Age. Though this type of vase with its flared mouth became the archetype of the Yuan Dynasty, the shape never really fell out of fashion. Originally used for drinking wine or as a ritual vessel it is mostly valued for its decorative form today.

Qing Dynasty, Tongzhi Period (1862 – 1874)