Qiān Jīn: Ding 丁, 2024
Crocheted and melted nylon
56cmH x 20cmW
This vase is part of the installation Qiān Jīn, featuring 4 vases inspired by ceramic glaze and the willow-leaf shaped vase. They are named after the first 4 of 10 Celestial Stems, the ancient Chinese ordinal system.
Inspired by relief patterns on Chinese vases, this vase employs a simple cable pattern, similar to those found on knitted garments. This carries the eye along the elegant line of the vase, and ‘cages in’ the band of gradient around its bosom. The lines merge into 4 main ones that angle the neck into a square shape. The bottom of the vase is adorned with leaf patterns.
The bold gash in the vase almost splits it into 2 from top to bottom, and the pattern on the surface melts away just enough to see some lines fade, as if they have worn off with age.