Ormolu mounted Chinese famille verte porcelain vase

This resplendent decorative piece is a large, Canton-style, so-called famille verte porcelain vase. Raised up on spectacular French ormolu mounts, the vase is decorated with figures, animals, flowers, birds, insects, and butterflies. Amongst this intricate decorative array there are a series of central panels which depict Chinese courtly scenes and images of nature.

Classified as famille verte for the predominant green colour palette, the vase is scattered with touches of reds, pinks, and other pastel hues, which enliven these large, imposing works. The body is mallet-shaped, traditional of Canton crafts, and it is shaped in a loosely ovoid fashion with a slender neck.

The vase is adorned with twin parcel gilt foo dog handles, which delicately rest on the neck of the vase in a display of technical ingenuity. Particular detail can be seen on the French, twentieth-century gilt-bronze mounts, which are cast and decorated in the Chinoiserie style. Baroque influence can clearly be seen in the craftsmanship, with swimming dolphins adorning the four feet as well as in the elegant shell-form decoration.

This fantastic piece combines decadent European metalwork with some of the finest craftsmanship from nineteenth century Qing dynasty porcelain making, ensuring this is an incredibly special piece for an antique collection.