Beschreibung:

A MAGNIFICENT AND EXTREMELY RARE BLUE AND WHITE MASSIVE 'DRAGON' VASE, TIANQIUPING
A MAGNIFICENT AND EXTREMELY RARE BLUE AND WHITE MASSIVE 'DRAGON' VASE, TIANQIUPING QIANLONG SIX-CHARACTER SEALMARK AND OF THE PERIOD (1736-1795) The spherical body superbly painted with vivid purple-blue cobalt tones simulating Ming-style 'heaping and piling' to depict a striding five-clawed dragon, the face with bulging eyes providing a ferocious expression, mouth agape exposing fangs, the head turned towards its companion in pursuit, both detailed with scaly bodies and spiky dorsal fins, against a background of large lotus blooms borne on scrolling stems growing curly leaves, the scrolls extending to the shoulders and around the long cylindrical neck, all above a band of lappets above the base, the rim encircled with ruyi -head and stylised waves borders 23 1/2 in. (59.7 cm.) high, box