Blue and white porcelain vase, Qing dynasty, Tongzhi (1862 - 1874)

A porcelain vase decorated in blue on white underglaze. The shade of blue is cobalt and takes on various shades to form the pattern. The shape has a curved neck with a flaring mouth on a stylised body and a circular foot. The neck and shoulders are decorated with consecutive decorative bands: banana leaves, honeysuckle motifs and 'ruyi' cloud heads. The belly is complete with a palace garden landscape consisting of rocks, bamboo and banana trees. Around the fence there is vegetation and flowering shrubs. Near the foot are cartouches and a pattern of lotus petals.

Blue-and-white vases of this shape and design were produced during the reigns of Jiaqing, Daoguang, Xianfeng, Tongzhi and Guangxu. On the base is a six-character mark '大清同治年制' (Dà qīng tóngzhì nián zhì) in underglaze blue. 

Provenance: European private collection, France. Acquired by the present owner in 1981 in Toulouse from the private collection of Mr. Gerard Pasquier. A period photograph is shown.

Height: 29.6 cm; Diameter of mouth: 9 cm; Diameter of base: 11.8 cm