Centrepiece; Longquan style, China, Qing dynasty, 1664- 1911.Celandine ceramic.Measurements: 17 x 31.5 cm (diameter).Centrepiece supported on three legs from which a globular clasp with moulded decoration is attached. Celandons are stoneware vessels, decorated with a lime or alkaline lime glaze, and fired in a reducing atmosphere. The result is a green or bluish-coloured finish, usually characterised by a fine decorative crackle in the glaze. Longquan celadon wares, made in the Longquan kilns, are particularly well known internationally today. They were made from the 10th to the 17th century, and from the Northern Song dynasty (960-1126) they began to be produced on a large scale, using large-capacity dragon kilns. For five hundred years, Longquan celadons would be a fundamental part of China's economy, as they were exported throughout Southeast Asia. A greyish stoneware paste was used for these pieces, which oxidises at the end of the firing cycle, taking on a reddish hue where it remains visible.Dimensions: 17 x 31.5 cm (diameter).