Chinese Crackled Blue Porcelain Snuff Bottle with Figures
A Chinese porcelain snuff bottle, 20th century, of narrow cylindrical form with a hardstone stopper, decorated with underglaze blue roundels on the crackle glazed ground, each roundel containing a figure, height 4.13 in.
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- Crackling and Crackle as a Decorative Technique - Crackle, also known as crackling, is a decorative technique that has been used in China for centuries. It is believed to have originated during the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD) and was primarily used in the production of ceramics, lacquerware, and furniture. The crackling effect was achieved by applying a glaze or lacquer that was formulated to crack during firing, creating a crackled pattern on the surface of the item.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 AD), crackle became a highly sought-after decorative technique, and it was used to create intricate and beautiful designs on ceramics and lacquer ware.
In Western decorative arts, crackle / crackling came into use during the Art Nouveau movement in the late 19th and early 20th century. The crackling effect was used to create a sense of movement and fluidity in the design of Art Nouveau pieces.
It was also used in the 1920s and 1930s during the Art Deco movement. - Crackles / Cracquelure - In ceramics, crackles may be introduced intentionally during the firing process, as was often the case with Oriental ceramics, and are known as artificial crackles. Natural crackles occur with age, and if the glaze is transparent, may be difficult to detect. Natural crackles may not cover the whole surface of the object and may be uneven in size.
- Hardstone - Hardstone is not a scientific name for a particular gemstone, but a word used to describe any one or more semi-precious stones used in jewellery and decorative arts, and can include jade, agate, onyx, rock crystal, amber, jet and carnelian. Softer stones and minerals such as soapstone, and alabaster and hard stones used in building such as marble or granite are generally excluded.
- Roundel - A roundel is a circular disk, medallion or border on a plate or dish, on an object of furniture. A plate or dish will often have a central circular bordered decoration, termed a roundel. In furniture the word is often used instead of the word 'patera' to describe a turned circular decoration. In recent times use of the word has expanded to encompass any circular area on an object.
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