A Chinese Shiwan glazed pottery vase, Republic period. The baluster-form vase is applied in high relief with a gnarled tree trunk bearing blossoms and foliage, the body covered in a variegated brown, cream, and green glaze with a celadon-glazed interior. The expressive sculptural decoration and rich glaze tones are characteristic of Shiwan workshop production.

6.69"h x 3.15"w x 2.36"l (17 x 8 x 6 cm)

Condition: General surface wear, minor glaze flakes and firing imperfections throughout.

Provenance: Estate of an Important Los Angeles Collector, Hubert Schmalix.

Hubert Schmalix (1952-2025) was born in Graz, Austria, and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, from 1971 to 1976. He served as a visiting professor at the Academy of Applied Arts, Vienna (1986-1987), and held a professorship at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna (1999-2006). He was also a visiting professor at UCLA, Los Angeles, and, in 2025, a teaching artist at the International Summer Academy of Fine Arts, Salzburg. Schmalix lived and worked in both Los Angeles and Vienna. Passionate about Chinese art, particularly Shiwan ware, Schmalix began collecting fine Chinese artworks from around the world in 1999, eventually amassing an extensive Shiwan collection. He later became a member of the Hong Kong Shiwan Association.