Pea‑Green-Glazed Flower Sprinkler with Chrysanthemum-Petal

Yes, it's a watering can. This one was made for the court of the Qianlong Emperor.

The shape didn't start in China. It came from brass and silver vessels of the Islamic world, which arrived along the Silk Road and were first copied in porcelain in the early Ming. Chinese potters kept the tall, tubular spout and the high looping handle, then made the form their own.

Here the round body is moulded in two rows of chrysanthemum petals, separated by raised bands, and the whole piece is dipped in a thick, soft pea-green celadon. It was fired just once, at high temperature, and the glaze pools gently in the grooves of each petal so the relief seems to glow from within. The chrysanthemum, the flower that blooms in the cold autumn, stood for integrity and a refined life.

Called a huajiao, "flower sprinkler," it was used to water flowers and set out for display. 31 cm tall. The base carries a six-character Da Qing Qianlong Nian Zhi seal mark within a square.

The flower sprinkler derives from metal vessels of West Asian origin and was adopted during the Ming and Qing dynasties as an object for imperial flower watering as well as an elegant item of court display. This example has a flared spout, a single loop handle, a waisted neck with a pronounced collar, and a rounded globular body. The neck is ornamented with vertical spiral fluting, while the upper and lower body are fully moulded in relief with chrysanthemum- or lotus-petal ribs, separated by two raised horizontal bands. The crisply defined and generously proportioned relief lends the vessel a dignified and stately appearance.

The vessel is entirely covered in a Pea‑Green-Glazed, or pale celadon (fenqing), glaze of substantial thickness, with a lustrous and softly luminous surface. The glaze is evenly applied in a refined, understated tone, with a gentle sheen that enhances the restrained elegance of the form.

Fired in a single high-temperature firing, the moulded chrysanthemum-petal relief emerges with subtle yet clearly defined modelling beneath the translucent glaze. The interplay of relief and glaze embodies the traditional Chinese celadon aesthetic of “ice and jade,” and exemplifies the Qing dynasty revival of the celebrated Longquan celadon tradition.

The elegant S-shaped handle is both ergonomically considered and ornamental, representing a characteristic feature of Ming- and Qing-dynasty flower sprinklers. Originally functional vessels for watering flowers, flower sprinklers later evolved into refined objects for the scholar’s studio and interior display.

The chrysanthemum-petal decoration conveys associations with purity, refinement, and moral integrity. The Pea‑Green-glaze, rooted in the aesthetic tradition of Song- and Yuan-dynasty Longquan celadon, reflects an appreciation for the qualities of jade and for restrained simplicity. Together, the form, monochrome glaze, and moulded decoration exemplify the Qing dynasty’s sophisticated revival of antiquarian celadon aesthetics.

The base bears the six-character “大清乾隆年製” (Da Qing Qianlong Nian Zhi) reign mark, arranged in three vertical rows in seal script (zhuanshu) within a square cartouche. This square seal-form mark is characteristic of Qianlong-period imperial wares. The characters are evenly spaced, with crisply squared turns and carefully controlled strokes, and the format was frequently employed on monochrome-glazed wares produced at the imperial kilns during the Qianlong period.