An ovoid-shaped Chinese Ming period porcelain jar painted in rich blue around the sides with two five-clawed dragons among clouds and with rocks and waves below. Round the shoulder a stylised shou (long life character) seems to grow out of the lotus scrol

East Meets West

Extraordinary Chinese and Japanese Works of Art in the Royal Collection

      CHINA [ASIA]

      Pair of vases

      early twentieth century

      RCIN 605

      These very large Chinese vases were a gift from the last Emperor of China, the five year-old Puyi, to mark the coronation of King George V (1865–1936) and Queen Mary (1867–1953) in 1911. They are decorated with dragons and have bronze dragon handles at the neck. The beautiful coloured surface has been achieved by the technique of cloisonné enamelling, in which powdered glass of different colours is placed within an intricate framework of metal wires and heated until it fuses in the pattern of the design.

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