This is the largest gallery in the Museum as it contains over 215 Canton forms. They are grouped into 43 categories listed on the left side of these pages. To find a form, simply click on the category which you think contains what you are looking for or you may go from page to page as the forms are listed alphabetically or you may use the search function at the top of each page. If you cannot find a form you are looking for or you have any questions you may contact us directly in the Contact Section.
Forms that are in the Very Rare/Unique Gallery, the Graduated Forms Gallery and the Mixed Pattern Gallery are also included in the All Canton forms Gallery.
The Museum is always interested if you have a form or a variation not in the Museum. There are a few unique and very rare forms listed that still do not have pictures. Again, contact us if you can be of help to the museum. Thank you.
Fruit Baskets and their matching stands are very popular and are one of the most useful and decorative of Canton forms. we have divided Fruit Baskets into 5 categories: No Handles, Shell Handles, Twisted Handles, Square Handles & Florets, and Solid Sided. This page is devoted to the extremely rare reticulated or pierced baskets with square handles and decorated with florets.
Fruit Baskets and their matching stands are very popular and are one of the most useful and decorative of Canton forms. We have divided Fruit Baskets into 5 categories: No Handles, Shell Handles, Twisted Handles, Square Handles & Florets, and Solid Sided. This page is devoted to the very rare reticulated or pierced baskets with twisted handles. The term “reticulated” means here, a network of elongated holes. Shown here are two pictures from Jane Wilson’s 1966 & 1977 Canton booklets.
Fruit Baskets and their matching stands are very popular and are one of the most useful and decorative of Canton forms. We have divided Fruit Baskets into 5 categories: No Handles, Shell Handles, Twisted Handles, Square Handles & Florets, and Solid Sided. This page is devoted to the extremely rare solid sided baskets. The one basket shown here is 8 5/8″ long. Its color is a lighter blue. This basket and its stand have the oval shape and glazed bottoms of its reticulated cousins. The basket has two complete Canton scenes on both outsides as well as on the inside bottom. Both rims have rain cloud borders. They do not have handles. Baskets and stands often become separated and we estimate that stands alone are about 1/3 the value of a set.
Bidets are one of the largest (23+”), heaviest (18 lbs.+) and sturdiest of Canton forms. All that we have seen are beautifully decorated, especially the 7 flowers on the outsides. A bidet has a hole in the narrow end to empty the bidets and corks were used as stoppers. They have especially wide rims, 1 1/2″. We have never seen larger or smaller bidets than the ones pictured here. For convenience the bidets were installed in wooden stands. The bottoms are unglazed. Jane Wilson states in her 1977 booklet, page 54 that bidets are usually found in Europe with stands and some had elaborate mahogany covers.
This is a birdhouse as described and pictured by Jane Wilson in her 1977 booklet on page 56. It appears to be made of the same material as ginger jars. Jane says there are people on the bridge (bridge not shown in picture), has the signiture of the artist (not shown) and was not for the American market. It was hung by cords and has a tassel.
These three bottles, of course, are not in the typical Canton pattern but many Canton collectors have them in their collections. Grayish in color they are simply decorated, the larger bottle more refined. There are no rain cloud borders or bridges. As Jane Wilson says: “The decoration is often blurred and of the same quality as many late ginger jars.” She pictures 2 of the bottles on pages 40 & 41 in her 1977 booklet.
They are quite graceful and not unattractive. The top rims are brown. There are bottom rims and the bottoms are glazed. The smaller bottles are common but the large ones are considered scarce.
Water Bottles are a beautiful and stately form with their long neck and bulbous shape. They are also very nicely decorated with Acanthus leaves and a full Canton scene around the entire bottle. The tops with pointed round knobs have long stems that keeps them in place when moving the bottles around. They have glazed bottoms. The bottle on the right has differences from that on the left. It is of slightly poorer decoration, its top has a rain cloud border whereas the top on the left bottle does not (both bottles have the borders at the top of their necks), it has 2 scene panels not the one continuous one. We also feel it is squatter and not as shapely as the left bottle.
The third water bottle that stands alone in a separate picture differs in decoration from the other two: it does not have a rain cloud border around the neck’s top rim and just below the Acanthus leaves is an unusual Greek Key design (see 2 close-up pictures of neck and Greek Key design). This bottle does not have a top.
