Diameter: 0.78 m Height: 1.999 m

The gift was presented by the People’s Government of Jiangxi Province to celebrate Macao’s return to the People’s Republic of China. The large vases in blue and white with over-glazed colour patterns (also known as ‘Doucai wares’ in Chinese) were created by an artist in Jingdezhen. The Jiangxi Province is famous for its porcelain, while Jingdezhen is regarded as the ‘Town of Porcelain’. The Blue-and-White Doucai wares are first outlined in blue before glazing, and then white glaze is applied for the first firing. In the second firing, the wares are added with enamel colours and then heated again at a lower temperature. The Chinese name of ‘Doucai’ means strongly contrasting colours. Works created with these techniques are usually bright and elegant.

Traditional ‘Doucai’ techniques and the modern skills embody the essence of Jiangxi porcelain. There are 99 lotuses in the main pattern on this pair of vases to symbolise the year of Macao’s return. The 99 lotuses, blossoming and budding, are as elegant as fairies dancing across the surface of the vase. The 30-centimetre-high mahogany bases further strengthens the grace of the work. ‘Hundred lotuses’ and ‘harmony’ are homonyms in Chinese, and this work represents the harmonious reunion of Macao with the People’s Republic of China.