A Chinese underglaze red-decorated porcelain lantern-form "Dragons" vase 釉里红龙纹灯笼瓶 Qing dynasty, 18th century ? ????

Of tall cylindrical form with waisted neck and slightly flared lip, raised on a straight circular foot, decorated in well-fired underglaze copper-red with a sinuous five clawed dragon, chasing a flaming jewel among scrolling clouds and flames, all above roiling waves and spray from which emerges the head of a juvenile dragon, the white ground with a pale blue tinge to the glaze.

H: 15 in.

NOTE:

The motif of a larger dragon and a smaller is likely a reference to the saying "Canlong jiaozi", which may be translated as "the Eastern [Blue] dragon teaching his son", implying not only the importance of teaching the young, but also to bring up one's descendants to succeed in court or higher office. For a smaller ovoid vase with closely related underglaze red decoration of a large dragon chasing a large flaming jewel, while a smaller dragon gazes up from waves, see the vase sold at Roswell auctions, Roswell, Georgia, November 5, 2021, lot 3181, catalogued as previously sold at Sotheby's London, July 12-13, 2006, lot 775. The decoration of vases of a variety of forms with dragons drawn in underglaze red was particularly notable during the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods. For an 18th century bottle vase, decorated with a dragon among flames and clouds, see Christie's New York, September 14, 2011, lot 1557; see also the larger bottle vase with sloped shoulder decorated with nine dragons, Qianlong mark and period, sold Christie's Hong Kong, May 30, 2017, lot 3198; compare also the rare trilobed vase with three dragons, dated to the Qianlong period, sold at Sotheby's, Hong Kong, November 27, 2019, lot 1; Compare also the Yongzheng mark and period meiping with serpentine dragon above waves, sold at Christie's, London, November 2, 2020, lot 162.

PROVENANCE:

Collection of Jean Lavigne, Parisian fine art publisher, best known for his work with Salvador Dali

Acquired from the wife of the above in Miami, Florida by the present owner