Antique Miniature Chinese Porcelain Foo Dog Bottle Vase

Details

Description

An early 20th-century miniature Chinese porcelain bottle vase, featuring hand-painted decorations in iron-red of swirling Foo dogs or Imperial Guardian … Read more An early 20th-century miniature Chinese porcelain bottle vase, featuring hand-painted decorations in iron-red of swirling Foo dogs or Imperial Guardian Lions. The mouth is a classic, flared trumpet shape. The opening is highly constricted, a design choice often used for bud vases or traditional containers.

The foot rim is unglazed, revealing the raw, gritty porcelain paste underneath. It shows a natural ring of darkened kiln dirt and age-related wear, a characteristic standard for antique Chinese porcelain fired on sand or supports in traditional kilns. The inner section of the base is slightly recessed and coated in a smooth white glaze.

The vase still has its paper export sticker on the side and a wax export stamp on the base.

Provenance: From the estate of Dr. Andres Onate, former Dean of East Asian Studies at the University of Arizona. Dr. Onate served in China for the US State Department in the early 1980s and again in the early 1990s. This item was purchased in Beijing circa 1982.

MEASUREMENTS
1 ¾ in (4.4 cm) diameter x 5 ½ in (14.0 cm) tall. Weighs 7.2 oz.

CONDITION
The vase has no cracks or chips. There is a small separation in the enamel on the tail and one of the lion’s eyes is worn. Small dark "pinholes" or "iron spots" and bumps are visible in the glaze along the rim and the body. These are common byproducts of natural minerals firing in antique Chinese kilns.

An excellent, intact example of early 20th-century Chinese miniature ware, distinguished by its classic form, traditional iron-red artistry, and surviving export markings. See less