Chinese Lidded Ginger Jar Depicting Peony and Foliate Scroll Design

Peonies the size of small plates float among a thicket of feathery leaves.

This lidded ginger jar depicting peony and foliate scroll design comes from China and dates to the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1912 CE). It is porcelain with cobalt paint. The peony is traditionally called the king of flowers in China, a wish for wealth and honor, which made it a favorite on everyday porcelain. Painted in soft underglaze blue, large open blossoms are surrounded by dense, curling leafy scrolls that cover the whole body. A key-fret border rings the shoulder, and the flat lid repeats the scrolling foliage around a central flower. It is 8 inches high and 8 in diameter.

Plenty of flowers, and not a single one wilting.