Is it known if this was actually used to store and pour wine? And if so, how would you do that?
One way to tell if a Chinese cloisonné vessel was used for food service is to check the inside, as there is quite often a protective layer between the enamel and the food. This vessel was more of a decorative object and probably not used in food service.
The vessel on the back, which is a very ancient type of wine vessel, can be removed from the wheeled phoenix part. The wheels, by the way, can actually move!
Thanks! Is the enamel poisonous?
The enamel is made of colored glass fused to a metal surface. It can wear away (or get little pits) if exposed enough.
Gotcha, thanks!!
Why were wine vessels on wheels made in eighteenth-century China?
We don't actually know why the wine vessels were put on wheels. The wheeled phoenix itself recalls Han dynasty bronzes from about 2,000 years ago. The vase part is detachable.
During the Qing dynasty, there was an interest in ancient materials and shapes. Books detailing these ancient vessels, including Han-dynasty wheeled bird vessels, were created and purchased at the time.
I like this. What was its function?
The phoenix with wheels is a ceremonial vessel, as you may have guessed from its extremely decorative and elaborate design. It would have held wine, and the wheels actually move!
So the wine vessel is just the part on the back?
Yes, the wine vessel on the phoenix's back is a "zun," a form over three thousand years old and modeled on earlier ritual bronze vessels. It is removable. The wheeled phoenix itself recalls Han dynasty bronzes.
Cloisonné production reached its highest point in China during the Qing dynasty. Like in this case, archaic vessel forms, originally seen in ancient bronzes, were reused in the newer cloisonné technique.
I find the color on this phoenix pretty interesting.
The whole thing, the vessel and the phoenix, were made using a technique called cloisonné, which was really popular in Qing dynasty China. Most of the cloisonné vessels produced for the Chinese elite feature this distinctive turquoise blue as their principal color.
The turquoise color became so prominent that the generic Chinese term for cloisonné is Jingtai lan, or "The Blue of the Jingtai Era," named after an emperor who preferred this color.
The cloisonné technique uses metal wires that are soldered onto the metal body of a vessel in the desired design. The spaces are then filled in with translucent, colored enamel. The result is very intricate and beautiful.
How was this made?
The decoration on this phoenix-shaped vessel is called cloisonné. The artist created thousands of little spaces on the metal surface with wire and then filled in the spaces with enamel.
This is an especially elaborate example of cloisonné. If you look closely, you'll notice that the spaces to be filled in are tiny and numerous!
What animal is this?
This cloisonné container was created in the image of a phoenix, during the height of cloisonné production in China. The phoenix is based on the form of archaic Chinese bronzes, has auspicious meaning, and in the Qing dynasty became a symbol for the Empress.
The bright blue is a symbol of the opulence of the Qing dynasty elite at the time. The bright blue color required a high degree of technical skill to realize on a vessel like this one.
Tell me more.
This vessel, even though it’s called a wine jar, was likely more of a decorative object as there is no protective coating on the inside between the enamel and food or drink.
It was produced using the cloisonné technique, which reached its highest point of production during the Qing dynasty. In the 18th century Qing dynasty, many archaic vessel forms were reimagined with cloisonné.
The wine vessel that is on the back of the phoenix is a "zun," which is a vessel form that is over 3,000 years old. The wheeled phoenix also recalls the earlier Han dynasty bronzes.
Why is Chinese art in a case with Medieval Cloisonné?
It's surprising at first, right? We're most used to seeing things separated by geography. However, cloisonné is a cross-cultural technique! It was first developed in the Mediterranean basin around 1500 B.C.E. It became highly developed in the Byzantine Empire in the tenth and eleventh centuries and appears to have been transmitted to China via the maritime and overland Silk Routes. It starts showing up in China by the early fifteenth century.
Don't miss the small set of objects showing the different stages of cloisonne --- that really helped me to understand how it is made.
Thanks! Enjoying the exhibit and the chance to chat with you.
The caption says the purpose of this is unknown, but if you had to guess, what would you have used it for?
The cloisonné vase was meant to be a decorative object. The earlier bronze prototype was a ritual object used to hold wine in offerings to the ancestors in the family's ancestral temple.
Chinese artisans of the 18th century were reimagining many archaic bronze vessels using the enamel technique seen here: cloissonné.
Why a Phoenix?
Like in many cultures, the phoenix in China had connotations of rebirth, auspiciousness, and success, all common concepts in the Chinese decorative arts. It was also seen as an ancient symbol like the form of the vessel on its back known as a "Zun." This was one of many vessel shapes based on very ancient forms that were repeated in China for thousands of years.
So they believed in reincarnation?
There is a concept of rebirth in Buddhism that speaks to another life after death, not necessarily reincarnation on Earth.
Was this an urn for human remains?
This vessel was for wine in a ceremonial context.
What did they use for color?
The the colors are mineral pigments mixed into glass-based enamel. The enamel is baked on the metal surface of this object.
¿Qué es esto?
Este recipiente ceremonial es en la forma de un fénix con ruedas, como habrás adivinado por su diseño. Es un cántaro que habría tenido vino, ¡y las ruedas realmente se mueven!
Was this Phoenix, from China, influenced by different cultures, such as Greek art?
Though the term "phoenix" that we use in English does come from Greek, the idea of a phoenix-like bird did develop in multiple cultures separately.
The makers of this 18th century object were looking to ancient Chinese examples for inspiration.
Oh wow! That is really interesting!
Indeed! It's fascinating to find the common threads across cultures. Another frequently cited example is dragons.
Can you tell me about "Ceremonial Wine Vessel on a Wheeled Phoenix"?
The elaborate phoenix was quite popular in 18th century China, but is basically only decorative. The wine vessel on its back is removable and based on an ancient vessel-shape.
There is a real interest in history and continuity in traditional Chinese art forms. This vessel shape, known as a zun, is one of many forms that dates back thousands of years, but is frequently recreated.
So people didn’t use it to transport wine at a party?
It could certainly be used to wheel wine down the table! But to fill the vessel or pour it into your glass, it was much more practical to disconnect it from the phoenix.
Haha that makes sense!
My dad wants to know if the Chinese Phoenix and the Greek Phoenix are connected and come from the same myths?
Quite a few visitors have asked the same question! My understanding is that they are not really related. We use, in English, the phoenix which comes from the Greek tradition, but in Chinese the creature is known as fenghuang.
Does it rise from its own ashes?
The Chinese Phoenix is a different story than its Greek counterpart. This phoenix does not rise from its own ashes.
You're welcome! I think that the term "Chinese Phoenix" stems from visual similarity rather than a conceptual similarity. The fenghuang is known more for its rule over other birds rather than its immortality.
Thank you so much for your info! Much appreciated
