Porcelain Urns with Lids

Porcelain Urns with Lids, 1'-8" high, 7.5" base, 12" at the widest point (one urn has been reconstructed)

On the mantel of the south fireplace are a pair of urns, decorated with medallions against a background of flowers and butterflies in bright shades of green, blue, and salmon pink, on white porcelain. Represented in the medallions are a number of Chinese motifs. One shows a peony blooming, an omen of success and spring, with a bird seated on a branch; another shows artist's tools; and a third medallion shows symbols of a scholar's life. The vases probably date from the eighteenth century, from the mid-Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). These urns may have been used for wine or food storage.