Chinese Ceramic Candlestand

Dark glaze with bluish drips running down a neat vase-on-a-stand shape.

This glazed pottery candlestand is from Hebei Province, China, and dates to the 20th century. Ceramic glazes are glassy coatings fired onto the clay body, making the surface smoother, more durable and less porous than unglazed pottery. A small vase-like head with a flared rim sits above three incised rings on a column that swells to a broad, shallow foot. The glaze is black with green and blue-grey streaks near the shoulder. The base edge is pale and chipped. It is 12 inches high and 5.5 in diameter.

A well-dressed stem with a few tasteful stains.