Chinese Carved Double Vase with Dragon
OwnerOwned by
James Cromar Watt
(Aberdeen, Scotland, 1862 - 1940)
DateQing Dynasty, 19th century
Object NameVase
Mediumpossibly soapstone or calcified jade
ClassificationsApplied Art
DimensionsOverall: Height: 16.2 cm, Depth: 6.5 cm, Width: 24.5
AcquisitionJames Cromar Watt Bequest, 1941.
CopyrightOut of copyright - CC0
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDMS024917
About MeChinese carved soapstone double vase with a large dragon wrapped around the outside.
The dragon is probably one of the most significant creatures within Chinese culture and mythology. There are many types of dragons, each with their own symbolism, but generally they are thought of as imperial creatures of strength and power.
Hardstone carving is a form of decorative art that has been a part of Chinese culture for over 3,000 years. This is largely due to many of the precious and semi-precious stones used, such as jade, turquoise, malachite, quartz and agate, occurring naturally in certain territories of China.
These different types of stones feature a wide variety of properties that Chinese artists were able to exploit, incorporating the natural coloration and textural qualities of the stones into their designs. Soapstone in particular has a wide colour range, from white through to almost black, depending on its composition. It is so named because of its soap like texture that derives from a 30% to 80% talc content, which also gives it its softness, making it easy to intricately carve.
James Cromar Watt
Ming Dynasty, 1522 - 1619
James Cromar Watt
James Cromar Watt
Qing Dynasty, 18th - 19th century
James Cromar Watt
James Cromar Watt
Qing Dynasty, Daoguang Period (early 19th Century)
James Cromar Watt
James Cromar Watt
Qing Dynasty, Jiaqing Period, 1796-1820
James Cromar Watt
Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period, 1736 - 1795
Qing Dynasty, 19th century
