Porcelain Vase - Ink Blue & White With Dragon Design

This striking ink blue and white porcelain vase is decorated with a powerful Chinese dragon coiling amongst swirling clouds. Its elongated body, expressive face and finely painted scales create a wonderfully dynamic composition, with the looser brushwork giving the vase the character of an earlier hand-painted piece.

The dragon is one of the most important symbols in Chinese culture, traditionally associated with strength, wisdom, prosperity and imperial authority. Believed to command water, rain and storms, it was regarded as a benevolent force capable of bringing good fortune and abundance. The cloud motifs surrounding the dragon reinforce its connection with the heavens and the natural elements.

The vase is hand-thrown on the potter’s wheel before being individually decorated by skilled artisans in Jingdezhen, China’s celebrated porcelain capital since 1004 AD. Traditional production and painting techniques passed down through generations give each piece its own subtle variations and distinctive handmade character. Jingdezhen became home to the imperial kilns during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 AD) and remains internationally renowned for the quality of its porcelain.

Porcelain is deeply rooted in Chinese history. Although pottery has been made in China for more than 15,000 years, true porcelain is generally believed to have emerged during the Han Dynasty (202 BC–220 AD). Blue and white porcelain is decorated with cobalt pigment beneath a transparent glaze, a technique with early roots in the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD) that flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

• Origin: Jingdezhen, China
• Date: Contemporary
• Materials: Hand-painted porcelain
• Features: Hand-thrown vase decorated with a coiling dragon amongst swirling clouds in expressive ink blue underglaze
• Condition: Excellent; handmade variations and minor firing marks are characteristic of traditional production
• Dimensions: W36 x D36 x H63 cm
• Weight: 14 kg