A pair of large Chinese Canton famille-rose vases –...

Two large Chinese porcelain vases in Canton Famille Rose style, richly decorated with figural scenes, flowers, birds, butterflies and other traditional motifs. The vases feature extensive gilded decoration and conspicuous inlaid gilded dragons and other sculptural elements around the neck and shoulder. Based on form, decoration and workmanship, presumably made in China in the 19th century, probably in the second half of the 19th century. The bottom shows no visible factory or maker’s mark. The vases are very large and heavy. They stand about 63 cm high, about 26 cm in diameter at the widest point, and weigh approximately 7 kg each. Both vases are intact in terms of cracks and hairlines. However, on one vase a few small pieces of one of the inlaid gilded dragons are missing; these are circled in blue in the detail photos. The other vase has a small chip to one of the lion figures on the neck, and one of the dragons has a small spot retouched; these points are also marked in blue in the detail photos. Otherwise the vases are in splendid condition and these minor defects are hardly noticeable during normal use. I am not a specialist in Chinese porcelain, hence the many detail photos form an important part of the condition description. Provenance: From family ownership. The vases were owned by my Dutch grandfather, who served as majordomo at Van Nievelt, Goudriaan & Co. in Rotterdam between roughly 1920 and 1940. According to the family history, he brought the pair to the Netherlands during his travels to the Far East. This confirms that the vases were already in family possession in the period 1920–1940. The two vases are offered only as a pair. The vases are unassessed. The attribution to Canton Famille Rose and the probable 19th-century/Qing dating are based on form, decoration, execution and family provenance; I would gladly defer the final dating and attribution to the Catawiki expert.

Estimate:£2,512.76

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