Enameled Hat Stand with White Cranes

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. The hat stand is decorated in the famille verte style, a decorative technique that employs opaque overglaze enamels in reds, blues, and greens. This cylindrical hat stand is hand-painted with cranes in a pine tree, a common motif symbolizing longevity. Along the bottom of this garden landscape are various lotus and peony flowers representing purity and prosperity respectively when accompanying crane depictions. The colorful scene rests upon a clear, white backdrop.