1985.R.961.A-B, Garniture, porcelain, Jingdezhen, China, c. 1700-1725

This vase is part of a set of vases called garnitures. Possibly first seen on temple altars by 16th or 17th century European visitors to China, garnitures of vases became popular items of interior decoration in Europe during the later 17th century continuing through the 19th century.  They were assembled from the numerous single pieces imported into Europe for use on mantelpieces, furniture, on overdoor cornices, cabinet tops, as well as on tables and shelves. The arrangement consisted of the covered jar form, as seen here, usually placed centrally and flanked or separated by beaker-form vases (see 1985.R.958) or otherwise alternating the shapes depending on their combinations. Garniture sets of three, five, or seven were common.

As on the other vases in this garniture set, the painting of the flowers and birds is extremely fine and executed in the typical green palette of Kangxi-period porcelains. The rich black ground sets off the eggplant purple plum trees and their yellow rockwork and peonies. Outlined in iron red are four petal-form reserves with famille verte enamels of birds, leaves, branches, and blossoms. The bottom of each vase is marked with a single artemisia leaf, a symbol of good fortune, encircled by a double ring which often appears on K'ang Hsi period porcelain. 

Surviving garnitures with black enameled grounds, called famille noire, are extremely rare. The Reves example is one of only three sets known. 

Until 1970: Christie's, London, England [1] 

1970: Emery Reves (1904-1983), purchased from Christie's, London, England, October 1970 [1] 

1970-1985: Emery Reves (1904-1983) and Wendy Reves (1916-2007) (owned jointly), La Pausa, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France [1][2]

From 1985: Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, gift of Wendy Reves (1916-2007) [2]

[1] According to an original Christie's London price list and correspondence found in the object file from Christie's London (dated October 1970).

[2] According to: Olivier Meslay and Martha MacLeod, From Chanel to Reves (Dallas, Texas: Dallas Museum of Art, 2015), 4-5.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art~Read more about Chinese Export Porcelain

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