CHINA, Qianlong mark. Large porcelain vase. Of... Lot 33

CHINA, Qianlong mark. Large porcelain vase. Of "meiping" form, with curved base, high swollen shoulder and short neck flared at the opening. The entire vase is richly decorated in cobalt blue monochrome on a white ground with five imperial dragons with five claws and sinuous bodies, depicted frontally and in profile, among foaming waves and clouds. The shoulder is adorned with a frieze of ruyi and foaming waves, and the neck is decorated with banana leaves. The white-glazed underside features a six-character Qianlong mark in zhuanshu reading "Da Qing Qianlong Nian Zhi" and in cobalt blue. 35.5; D neck: 7.5; D base: 13.5 cm. Provenance: - Acquired from Yamanaka Co. Bar Harbor, Main, USA, with certificate dated November 27, 1943 - Former Wandenberg collection (1912-1961) - Former collection of banker Jan Belo, Netherlands, then passed on by descent (1961-1990's). With its perfect form, elegant proportions and extensive decoration, this rare meiping vase bears witness to the splendor of imperial porcelain production at the Jingdezhen imperial kilns during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795). The composition of the decoration, orchestrated around a multitude of five-clawed dragons, zoomorphic allegories of the emperor himself, depicted in various attitudes, amid celestial waves and clouds, was one of the preferred decorations, since the Ming dynasty, for productions destined for the court. Its execution in a palette of cobalt-blue cameos, a technique requiring perfect mastery of the firings, once again testifies to the high degree of technical skill of the present vase. Please note To bid on this lot, registration closes 72 hours before the sale. A deposit of €50,000 by bank transfer will be required from future bidders.