Vase, glazed porcelain, China, Jingdezhen, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), ca.1826-1828

Vase of porcelain, of flattened bulbous shape, with a short neck and low foot, covered with a turquoise glaze. Two confronting chi dragons are incised on the body, with a lingzhi fungus issuing from their mouths, and the animals' limbs and tails look like clouds and flames. Four bats are on the two sides of the flask, whilst the fifth is shown frontal-view below the rim, immediately above a leafy pomegranate. Two handles in the form of kui dragons are on the shoulders. The glaze has gathered at the footring. The base is also glazed, and the mark Chending Xuan zhi (made for the Studio of Settled Dust) is written in underglaze blue.

Salting Bequest

Bequeathed by Mr. George Salting, accessioned in 1910. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
This flask, including the kui dragon handles, is very close in form to the copper-red glazed flask, evidence that the same type of flask continued to be made during the many decades since 1765. It is interesting to note that the piece was ordered by a Manchu, a member of the Plain White Banner. Jichang (d.1829), from the Baidu clan, alias Shuzhi, had given himself a studio name Chending Xuan. He also did what many of his Han colleagues had done, namely to have porcelains made for his personal use while he was Provincial Administrative Commissioner in Jiangxi during the years 1826-1828. Besides this flask he also ordered small cups painted with a scholar under pine trees in underglaze blue. A lidded cup painted with figures in the doucai style is reported to have the same mark but is not illustrated.

This flask was specially ordered by a Manchu (an ethnic minority from north-east China), a member of the Plain White Banner. His name was Jichang, but he preferred to inscribe the flask with his studio name - 'Studio of Settled Dust'. He was Provincial Administrative Commissioner in Jiangxi province during the years 1826 to1828. Jingdezhen is in the northern part of that province, so Jichang took the opportunity while Commissioner to have porcelains made for his personal use.

C.462-1910