This square vase with gently sloping body and long neck belongs to a collection of blue and white enamel wares of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).The wares consist mostly of large vases and jars decorated with narratives of hunting or battle scenes, or scholarly subject matter such as scenes from popular stories like the Red Cliff as depicted on this vase. These pieces illustrate the turbulent period of the transition from Ming to Qing rule at the end of the 17th century. A period that was marked by the collapse of the imperial kilns, growing domestic interest in literary subjects and the customisation of private kilns for new markets.
