Lotus in cinnabar red, glowing on black.
These vintage porcelain bowls are painted in famille noire, a rich, dramatic style in which brilliant enamels glow against a deep black ground. Here, the colors are cinnabar red and coral, with fine gold stippling scattered across the black like stars. At the center of each bowl, a framed medallion holds a pond scene of blooming lotus, with dark green pads and pale leaves, and around it the sides carry peonies and scattered maple leaves. Gilt edges and delicate gold line work catch the light with every turn.
Famille noire is French for “black family,” a name given by Western collectors to Chinese porcelain whose enamels are set off by a black ground. The style first appeared in the Kangxi reign (1662 to 1722) of the Qing dynasty, and it became so beloved in the West that by the late 19th century, famille noire porcelains were some of the most prized and costly Chinese decorative arts. The motifs here carry meaning too. The lotus rises from the mud to bloom, and has long been a symbol of purity and renewal. The peony is the flower of prosperity and good fortune, and the maple leaf, with its fiery autumn color, is a favorite of the fall season.
Choose your size:
Large, 10" — a deep, round bowl with a wide, graceful mouth and a gilt rim, ideal as a centerpiece
Small, 8" — a lotus-shaped bowl with notched corners and a gilt edge, equally lovely on its own or nested inside the large bowl
Beautiful on a dining table, console, or coffee table as a centerpiece, filled with ornaments, pomegranates, or branches, or set on a sideboard as a statement piece. As with vintage hand-painted pieces, some paint and gilding loss is present, and we encourage you to look closely at the photos.
Details
Vintage hand-painted famille noire porcelain bowls, black ground with cinnabar red lotus, peony, and maple leaf decoration, gold stippling and gilt rims, available in two sizes, 10" and 8", sold individually, some paint and gilding loss consistent with age
Tucked inside every order, a little something for first time Tavola customers — a hand-finished vintage passport notebook. Note the piece, the moment, the person you gave it to. One day these pieces will sit in someone else's hands — and they'll know it came from yours.
Lotus in cinnabar red, glowing on black.
These vintage porcelain bowls are painted in famille noire, a rich, dramatic style in which brilliant enamels glow against a deep black ground. Here, the colors are cinnabar red and coral, with fine gold stippling scattered across the black like stars. At the center of each bowl, a framed medallion holds a pond scene of blooming lotus, with dark green pads and pale leaves, and around it the sides carry peonies and scattered maple leaves. Gilt edges and delicate gold line work catch the light with every turn.
Famille noire is French for “black family,” a name given by Western collectors to Chinese porcelain whose enamels are set off by a black ground. The style first appeared in the Kangxi reign (1662 to 1722) of the Qing dynasty, and it became so beloved in the West that by the late 19th century, famille noire porcelains were some of the most prized and costly Chinese decorative arts. The motifs here carry meaning too. The lotus rises from the mud to bloom, and has long been a symbol of purity and renewal. The peony is the flower of prosperity and good fortune, and the maple leaf, with its fiery autumn color, is a favorite of the fall season.
Choose your size:
Large, 10" — a deep, round bowl with a wide, graceful mouth and a gilt rim, ideal as a centerpiece
Small, 8" — a lotus-shaped bowl with notched corners and a gilt edge, equally lovely on its own or nested inside the large bowl
Beautiful on a dining table, console, or coffee table as a centerpiece, filled with ornaments, pomegranates, or branches, or set on a sideboard as a statement piece. As with vintage hand-painted pieces, some paint and gilding loss is present, and we encourage you to look closely at the photos.
Details
Vintage hand-painted famille noire porcelain bowls, black ground with cinnabar red lotus, peony, and maple leaf decoration, gold stippling and gilt rims, available in two sizes, 10" and 8", sold individually, some paint and gilding loss consistent with age
Tucked inside every order, a little something for first time Tavola customers — a hand-finished vintage passport notebook. Note the piece, the moment, the person you gave it to. One day these pieces will sit in someone else's hands — and they'll know it came from yours.
