About the artwork
Jiří Straka
Grasses
2026
Vase
Hand-thrown and hand-painted porcelain
Original underglaze cobalt painting
48 × 22 × 22 cm
In stock
This unique, original vase titled Grasses was created using the hand-thrown porcelain technique, historically associated with the Chinese city of Jingdezhen. While retaining its traditional, precise shape without innovations, the vase features a contemporary, painterly grass motif executed in cobalt underglaze—a style that would have been difficult to find on porcelain vessels of this form in the past.
It is a Jiangjun Guan type vase, which originated during the rule of the Mongol Yuan dynasty in the 14th century. This was the same period that saw the rise of blue-and-white porcelain—originally a Persian ceramic tradition later refined by Chinese artisans.
The artist himself refers to the vessel as a “general’s jar,” as its lid resembles the helmet of a Mongol general. Historically, these jars were used for storing tea, food, or sweets, and were placed as decorative pieces in the interiors of castles and palaces across both China and Europe. Today, such a jar can also serve as a vase.
About author
Jiří Straka (*1967) is a Czech painter and graphic artist, primarily known for his original synthesis of traditional Chinese visual techniques with modern artistic expression. He completed a study stay at the Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, an experience that profoundly influenced his subsequent work. Jiří Straka is an acclaimed master of Chinese ink wash painting, which he has successfully adapted to the European visual language. His works frequently reflect the contrast between traditional and contemporary culture while maintaining the precision and poetics of Chinese traditions. His oeuvre features motifs of landscapes, urban scenery, and symbolic abstractions.
