Pair of Lidded Vases

Europeans call this style of Chinese porcelain decoration famille rose(pink family) because of the emphasis on the pink color. Jesuit missionaries brought this pigment, known as Purple of Cassius, to China in the 1680s, and it first appeared on porcelain around 1700. The color varied from pink to purple, depending on the kiln temperature. Chinese factories used the pink enamel mainly on vessels that were being made for export to Europe, rather than for Chinese consumers.