A 19th Century Black Glazed Porcelain Bottle Vase

A late 19th century bottle vase, the body having a black glaze.

Black glazes are very durable and were originally used by the Chinese middle classes for household wares. Due to their highly decorative value, they were ultimately favoured by the upper classes. Wares with glazes in shades from dark ochre to black are achieved using iron-rich clay. The greater the iron content, the darker the surface.

This vase has a clean and reflective surface making it especially desirable.

Qing Dynasty, Tongzhi Period (1862-1874)