A blue and white dragons tazza, Qing dynasty, Qianlongs mark.
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Of circular form with shallow slightly rounded sides supported on a tall splayed hollow stem, painted around the sides with a band of interlinked foliate strapwork within line borders, the stem decorated in shaded tones of cobalt-blue with a five-clawed dragon depicted striding in pursuit of the flaming pearl above waves breaking on jagged rockwork, the interior of the stem inscribed in underglaze blue with a seal reign mark. Height 18 cm, diameter 22,2 cm.
Rimcracks, chips.
Provenance
The tazza was brought to Sweden by Captain Nils Olof Elgström (1852-1924), who collected antiques and precious objects on his journeys at sea. The tazza was acquired on one of his trips prior to 1883, this due to a tragic accident during his wedding trip in 1883, when tree crew members and his new brother in law Ossian Strömberg was swept away in a storm outside the American coastline. This made the Captain take another career. Thence by descent.
Literature
For Qianlong reign-marked examples, see one illustrated in Beauty of Ceramics, vol.3: Blue and White Porcelain, Taipei, 1993, pl. 153, and an example sold in Sothebys, New York, 22nd March 1999, lot 395.
For Kangxi reign-marked examples, see the tazza in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Illustrated Catalogue of Ch'ing Dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, vol. 1, 1980, pl. 15, and an example offered in these rooms, 2nd May 1995, lot 60.
