A blue and white Tazza, Qing dynasty with Qianlong mark.
For condition report contact specialist
Of circular form with shallow slightly rounded sides supported on a tall splayed hollow stem, painted around the sides with a band of interlinked foliate strapwork within line borders, the stem decorated in shaded tones of cobalt-blue with a five-clawed dragon depicted striding in pursuit of the flaming pearl above waves breaking on jagged rockwork, the interior of the stem inscribed in underglaze blue with a seal reign mark. Height 18 cm, diameter 22,2 cm.
Minor wear.
Provenance
From the Collection of Wilhelm Montelius (1852-1918), thence by descent. The Montelius family had a long family tradition of being lawyers, Wilhelm however became the Director of Swedish Telephone company Ericsson from 1901 -1916, and his brother Oscar Montelius (1843-1921) became archaeologist and member of the Swedish National Heritage Board. Wilhelms passion for collecting oriental ceramics and works of art was aided by Ericssons business in China at the time. Before World War One he managed to send out his staff to acquire several important pieces.
Literature
For Qianlong reign-marked examples, see one illustrated in Beauty of Ceramics, vol.3: Blue and White Porcelain, Taipei, 1993, pl. 153, and an example sold in Sothebys, New York, 22nd March 1999, lot 395.
For Kangxi reign-marked examples, see the tazza in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Illustrated Catalogue of Ch'ing Dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, vol. 1, 1980, pl. 15.