Ewer, Paris, c 1755-1760. Vase, China, c. 1725-1740, hard paste porcelain, gilt bronze. A Paris craftsman transformed this Chinese vase into an ewer. It is an example of European chinoiserie, in which an oriental object acquires a new character through the addition of Western elements. The grey-glazed porcelain gives the impression of having tiny cracks all over it. This type of porcelain - called craze or crackle glazed - was greatly admired in Paris in the mid-18th century.