
1736
This vase is carved in an overall relief pattern of two dragons among clouds, one with its body on the shoulder of the vase and its tail rising onto the neck, and the other placed lower on the vase with its tail rising onto the shoulder. Among the clouds are six bats and a single flaming pearl. The heads and legs of the dragons are detailed in an antiquated style, with the clouds composed of hooked motifs that resemble the scroll decoration of Warring States bronzes. Like so many Qing imperial porcelains, this vase is redolent of antiquity without being a direct copy of an ancient piece.