Of baluster shape, decorated in underglaze blue with the motif 'foreigners bearing tributes/gifts'. The base with an apocryphal six character Kangxi mark within double circles. Height 34 cm.
Gilding by rim. Fritts.
The subject of foreign tribute bearers is also depicted in a number of Qing court paintings, such as Envoys from Vassal States and Foreign Countries Presenting Tribute to the Emperor in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Qing Court Paintings, #14, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 64.
The theme of foreign tribute bearers was especially favored at court in the 18th and early 19th century. Recognizable by their curly red hair, tall noses, and clothing, the foreigners carry precious objects and are accompanied by extraordinary beasts such as a Buddhist lion, wolf, bixie, piebald horse, white elephant, dog, qilin, and tiger. Such a vase would have conveyed numerous auspicious blessings and affirmed the Qing empire's cosmopolitan power and influence.