2025 Poster Session

In 2020 the Art Institute of Chicago’s Applied Arts of Europe and Arts of Asia departments jointly acquired a rare porcelain vase with two European figures on it, made in China in the second half of the 18th century, during the reign of emperor Qianlong. Originally thought to be intended for export to Europe, curatorial research found that it was produced for the Chinese imperial market, and that a matching mirrored version exists at the Museu Medeiros e Almeida in Portugal. The vase is constructed with a hole in the bottom, so it is not functional. When purchased, it had a variety of old deteriorating restorations as well as unfilled losses. Both figures’ hats were heavily restored, with the extent of original material below the lumpy restoration unclear. A face, hair, and fingers also had fills. Most notably, only one of the figures’ four original feet remained. Two other feet were noticeable, deteriorating replicas, and the fourth was missing completely.

When treatment was undertaken, interesting details of the past restoration techniques and original techniques of manufacture were revealed. The restoration materials included unusual red low fire ceramic fills attached using threaded rods, paper left behind to contain plaster during the past restoration, and a black resinous material that was confirmed by analysis to be shellac-based. Old misaligned joins were disassembled, which revealed manufacture details on the inside of the head of one figure that would never have been visible except during treatment. The hats were formed separately and applied to the heads – a bead of slip is visible at the join.

The fills on the face were discovered to have been covering firing flaws, which were left unfilled at the end of this treatment as they are original manufacture features. For the losses in the hats, fingers, hair, and single right foot, existing matching elements were used to base the fills on without significant inference. However, since each figure was on one knee, the left and right feet differed significantly in position, and there was no extant left foot on which to base the restorations of the two left feet. Photographs sent by the Museu Medeiros e Almeida of the matching vase in Portugal were referenced, but it was unclear if those feet were also restored. Measurements based on photos of one potentially original matching foot resulted in a foot length significantly longer than the one existing right foot on the Chicago vase. After discussing with the curators and making mockups of multiple foot sizes, the decision was made to base the foot on the single extant right foot on the vase. If it is confirmed eventually that the replica feet are shorter than the original left feet, this can be corrected. The vase is slated to go on view in a major reinstallation of the Art Institute’s Applied Arts of Europe galleries in 2025.