A Pair of Late 18th Century Qing Dynasty Blue & White Porcelain Jars

A pair of late 18th century blue and white glazed porcelain vase, each decorated with imaginary landscapes, seascapes and mountains with stylised figures in boats.

Many critics deem landscape painting to be the highest form of art in Chinese painting. While, stylistically speaking, such depictions have changed to some extent over the years, they almost always convey a philosophical, social or political message. Artists, disillusioned with social constructs often sought sanctuary in nature, where they found time to contemplate. Hence, they used rolling hills, tree filled landscapes and trickling streams as metaphors. The sensitivity in the portrayal of Chinese landscape often has underlying Buddhist philosophies as well as humble insight into the artist’s heart and mind, which really became the essence of ‘literati painting’.

Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period (1736 – 1795)