An impressive Chinese archaistic-revival bronze and inlaid jade `dragon' vase Qing dynasty, 18th century

of stout baluster footed form, boldly cast and inset with a carved jade dragon's head towards the centre of the body, its flowing mane and scaled body forming the handles, amongst stylised ruyi heads and stylised scrollwork, all above a crashing wave border around the base

John Kenworthy-Browne, 'Easton Neston, Northamptonshire,' Connoisseur, September-December 1964, p.74, illus. fig.2 in Dining Room;
Christian, Lady Hesketh, 'Easton Neston, Nicholas Hawksmoor's Baroque Creation in Northamptonshire', Architectural Digest, January 1991, p.142, illus. in the Drawing Room

It is rare to find bronze vases of this shape and inlaid decoration. This vase was possibly inspired by archaic gilt-bronze vases with wave-form decorations, such as the one in the collection of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, attributed to the Song dynasty (960-1279) and illustrated in Hai-wai yi-chen. Chinese Art in Overseas Collections. Bronze, vol.1, Taipei, 1985, pl.218.