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.

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

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.