Description

Vase, bone china, painted in overglaze enamels and gilding with chinoiserie pattern imitating cloisonne enamels.
Amphora shaped with small foot, long tapering neck, flared rim and two twisted handles from underneath rim to shoulder terminating in Bacchic heads. Turquoise glazed ground decorated with a complex pattern of overglaze enamels and gilding simulating Chinese cloisonne enamels. Turquoise hexagons each containing a small red flower, and outlined in dark brown and gilding form a honeycomb design across the main body of the vase. Set with: two roughly oval medallions on opposite sides containing Chinese dragons in red, blue, green, yellow and white with gilt outlining; an encircling band just below the middle with four dragons and Chinese hieroglyphs; a gilt outlined pendent lappet under each handle with a stylized floral motif set on a dark blue ground, each lappet with a smaller mirror image underneath the central band. Main body bordered at shoulder by a band of pink scrolling decoration and at base by a gilt geometric fret both on a green ground. Decoration at neck and foot of elongated vertical rectangles outlined in blue and red with green inserts, broken at neck of vase with encircling gilt and turquoise lines. Futher gilding on handles, and around the foot and the rim both with a differing black geometric pattern.