Chinese Blue & White Hexagonal Storage Jar with Lid, Birds & Foliage, c.1950

Small but mighty. This hexagonal Chinese export jar from around 1950 has the quiet confidence of an object that knows exactly what it is: a beautifully proportioned little pot covered in blue-and-white birds darting through dense foliage, with a flat hexagonal lid that fits just so and a craquelé glaze on the interior that tells you it's been around long enough to have opinions.

The decoration is transfer-printed in the classic Chinese export style — swallows in flight between branches of round-leafed foliage, the whole pattern wrapping continuously around all six facets without a break. The lid carries a single bird in flight at the centre, surrounded by the same leafy branches. The top rim of the body has a ring of small blue floral clusters, and the interior of the lid shows a lovely star-shaped craquelé pattern — the kind of detail that only reveals itself when you pick it up.

No backstamp — typical of Chinese export porcelain of this period. The base is unglazed with the characteristic hexagonal foot ring. Use it for cotton buds, rings, a single flower, or simply as a beautiful object that earns its place on any shelf it lands on.

• Chinese export porcelain, hexagonal storage jar with lid, c.1950
• Blue & white transfer-printed birds and foliage decoration
• Continuous all-over pattern across all six facets
• Single bird motif on lid; floral ring on top rim
• Interior lid shows star-pattern craquelé glaze — authentic age characteristic
• No backstamp — typical of Chinese export ware of this period
• Good vintage condition — no chips or cracks
• 14 × 9 cm, 327 g
• China, c.1950

WARNING: This jar is small enough to go anywhere and pretty enough that you'll spend ten minutes deciding where. Bathroom shelf? Bedside table? Desk? Yes, yes, and yes.