Description:  Bough Pots are vases that hold cut flowers. They are very rare and, unfortunately, we do not have a picture of an original one or know the exact dimensions of them. However, a picture of a pair is on page 241 of Herbert Schiffer’s 1975 book. The bough pots have a flared top with a square middle section on a stepped base. They are very elaborately decorated with Canton scene panels on four sides and rope like twisted handles on two sides. There are berries or buds on vines all over the pots. They have slanted octagonal bases as well as wide octagonal top rims with inset spaces for octagonal tops. The slightly domed tops have 5 circular holes, rain cloud borders and decorations of sampans and mountains but not  bridges or tea houses. We believe they are about 9-10″ tall.

In 2014 we acquired a pair of reproduction Bough Pots. They are very well done except that the pair of twisted rope handles are inferior to the originals. One feature that one cannot see from the Schiffer book picture is that at each of the 4 corners on the sides there are 2 squirrels that face each other!

The statistics for these 2 reproduction pots are as follows:

9″ tall without tops, 10″ tall with tops;

7 7/8″ square at the tops and 6 3/8″ square at the bottoms;

the 5 hole tops are 6 7/8″ square and 1 1/4″ high;

the pots average 4 lbs. 12 oz. in weight;

the tops average 11 1/2 oz.;

the bases average 4 lbs. 6 oz.

NOTE:  All pictures here are of the reproduction Bough Pots.