Chinese Cloisonné Enamel Half Moon Flask
OwnerOwned by
James Cromar Watt
(Aberdeen, Scotland, 1862 - 1940)
Date17th century
Object NameVase
Mediummetal and enamel
ClassificationsApplied Art
DimensionsOverall: Height: 16 cm, Width: 12 cm
AcquisitionJames Cromar Watt Bequest, 1941.
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDMS014485
About MeThe moon form is so called due to its soft rounded shape. It is also known as the pilgrim form or bottle as it is an adaptation of an earlier foreign vessel. Leather bags or 'pilgrim bottles' inspired ceramic replicas in the Han and Tang periods. Such forms were also fashioned in glass in the Near East and the shape was additionally made in low-fired ceramic in Syria. They were later made in bronze and decorative enamelware.The half moon form indicates that this vase, whilst spherical in shape, is flat on both sides and not rounded. It was designed to be hung on the wall as part of a pair. It is of Imperial quality, suggesting that it was made for a royal palace.
More About Me
For Cloisonné work, this is a belter! The Chinese brass and enamel bottle is of imperial quality and may have hung in a royal palace.
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