Rouleau Vase

This vase portrays a group of elegantly dressed ladies engaged in playing Go (weiqi), a game admired for its strategic depth and intellectual refinement. The scene captures an atmosphere of cultured leisure, emphasizing grace, composure, and harmony—qualities idealized in Qing society. Painted in rich cobalt blue on a warm ivory glaze, the figures are rendered with delicate brushwork and subtle expression. Such depictions of women at play or in conversation were popular themes in porcelain, reflecting both the refined domestic ideals and the sophisticated artistry of Qing-period ceramic painters.