Large Chinese Porcelain Fabled Creatures Tongping

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Large Chinese Porcelain Fabled Creatures Tongping, a large, finely formed a sleeve shape vase with sloping sides, a flared rim, … Read more Large Chinese Porcelain Fabled Creatures Tongping, a large, finely formed a sleeve shape vase with sloping sides, a flared rim, a gilt lip, and a white glazed exterior, interior and inset base. The artwork is done in a grisaille style with gold highlights. The neck has two, scalloped cartouches depicting birds and flowers, surrounded by many different flowers, bracketed at the rim by a band of Ru Yi lappets and at its flange below by a band of eight floral medallions within a dense net of curling vines. The front of the vase has a large, scalloped cartouche with a finely drawn fenghuang amid auspicious clouds (xiangyun) and a qilin in a walled garden with plants, a scholar's rock and two of the Eight Buddhist Treasures. The back of the vase has a similar cartouche with a five clawed dragon chasing the pearl of wisdom amid clouds and an ocean carp rising above the frothy spumes of ocean waves. The sides have a fan shaped cartouche above and a scalloped cartouche below, depicting birds, plants and insects. All six cartouches on the body of the vase are surrounded by myriad different flowers, bracketed at the top of the body by a band of floral Ru Yi lappets, and by a larger band of lappets at the foot. A blue, six character, Jiaqing, reign mark is glazed to the inset base. The finely carved, traditional, Chinese, hongmu stand is included. Circa Republic of China period or earlier. Some scattered, miniscule kiln frits are seen, as made, excellent vintage condition.

vase: 19.25" high x 7.9" diameter

stand: 2" high x 8" diameter.

xiangyun: Cloud motifs are rooted in agrarian culture of the Chinese people. Clouds are associated with good luck as the cloud makes rain which moisten all things, and therefore, it brings good fortune to people. In Chinese language, clouds are called yun (云; 雲; yún) which is a homonym for the Chinese character yun "good fortune" (运; 運; yùn). In Chinese culture, clouds (especially the five-coloured clouds) are perceived as an auspicious sign (e.g. an omen of peace, a symbol of Heaven, and the expression of the Will of Heaven. They also symbolize happiness and good luck. See less