The pair of vases, of gu form, rests on a slightly spreading foot and rises to an everted neck. The continuous decoration, painted in underglaze blue, depicts flowering prunus branches accompanied by birds, butterflies, and insects, arranged among pierced rocks. A thin blue line accents the rims. The underside bears a double-circle mark in underglaze blue.
The gu form derives from archaic ritual bronze vessels, with an everted neck, a slender waisted body, and a spreading foot. It was adopted in porcelain from the late Ming period and remained popular under the Qing, especially for vases decorated in underglaze blue. This technically demanding shape lends itself well to continuous vertical decoration and reflects a long-standing interest in archaic forms in Chinese culture.
