Enameled Hat Stand with Children at Play

Brilliantly colored with bold enamels, this porcelain hat stand was once used by a Qing-dynasty gentleman to display his caps while they weren't in use. This stand is decorated in the style of famille rose, a technique that emerged during the 18th century that employs opaque overglaze enamels in pinks, reds, blues, and greens. The cylindrical stand is hand-painted with a lively scene of children at play in a courtyard garden.

Accompanied by a woman in a fanciful robe, one child is flying a kite while the other is teasing a cat with a spider. Standing underneath a willow tree and surrounded by prunus branches and delicate birds, this vibrant landscape offers a glimpse of an idealized scene of the time. The hat stand is finished with a brushwork of Chinese calligraphy above the garden landscape and a stamped maker’s mark on the underside.