A blue and white 'dragon' jardinière, Seal mark and period of Qianlong

Blue and white jardinières of this type, boldly decorated with five-clawed dragons striding through clouds above crested waves, represent a classic expression of imperial symbolism under the Qianlong Emperor. The dynamic composition, combining ferocious movement with balanced spatial control, exemplifies the technical and artistic refinement achieved at the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen during the mid-eighteenth century. The vigorous rendering of the dragon in vibrant cobalt reflects both the high quality of imported pigments and the court’s continued preference for assertive, auspicious imagery.

A closely related Qianlong-marked example is preserved in the Nanjing Museum and published in The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, p. 274. Another from the John Gardner Coolidge Collection, now preserved in the Museum of Replica Handbags Boston, is illustrated on their website (accession no. 46.527). See also a few examples sold at auction: one was sold at Bonhams London, 7th November 2013, lot 56, and again in these rooms, 12th September 2018, lot 149; another was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 3rd December 2021, lot 2901.

The enduring appeal of this powerful design is demonstrated in its continuation into later reigns. For a Daoguang mark and period jardinière of similar type, see one in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated in Illustrated Catalogue of Ch’ing Dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace Museum, vol. II, Tokyo, 1981, pl. 113. A Tongzhi period example, from the collection of B. C. Tattenhall, is published in Sir Harry Garner, Oriental Blue and White, London, 1973, pl. 83A.