A FINE AND RARE BLUE AND WHITE 'DRAGON' RECTANGULAR MOONFLASK QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

the rectangular body sweeping up from a short rectangular foot to a slightly broad shoulder and surmounted by a slender tubular neck flanked by a pair of chilong handles, each side exquisitely painted in shaded tones of cobalt blue with a pair of dragons soaring ferociously and flanking a central 'flaming pearl' amidst flaming wisps, the serpentine five-clawed mythical beasts powerfully detailed with windswept manes and bulging alert eyes, all amidst ruyi cloud scrolls extending onto the short flat sides, further detailed with four soaring bats, all above a key-fret border skirting the footrim

John Sparks Ltd., London.

Oosterse schatten, 4000 Jaar Aziatische Kunst, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 1954, cat. no. 423.

Good condition, with just a minute firing imperfection to the rim and other insignificant surface wear.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In the quest to justify their right to the throne of China as a foreign dynasty, the Manchu emperors of the Qing dynasty often commissioned works of art to reflect their power and beneficence. In both its style of painting and decoration the present flask immediately references great works of art of the past, with the dragon yielding an impressive evocation of imperial grandeur. As emblem of the Emperor’s majestic and benevolent rule, the dragon had a long tradition in China; however probably no other ruler made such calculated propagandistic use of it as the Qianlong Emperor. Dragons adorned every room of the Qing palace and the image of the five-clawed dragon can be considered the ultimate reflection of the Qianlong Emperor’s imperial splendour.

Highly unusual for its rectangular form, this flask is a fine example of the technical expertise achieved during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. Its angular shape together with the symmetrical design, suggests it may have been inspired by metalware, which were cast and enamelled rather than formed on a potter’s wheel. Although designs of dragons are well-known, no other vessel of this form appears to have been published.

While moonflasks decorated with front-facing dragons are well-known, those painted with side-facing dragons are rare and directly inspired by early-Ming designs. It is particularly rare to find two facing dragons. For a moonflask decorated with one side-facing dragon above crashing waves, see one sold in our London rooms, 6th November 2013, lot 16; another sold in our Paris rooms, 18th December 2008, lot 68; and a third sold at Christie’s New York, 26th March 2003, lot 263. 

For the Ming prototype to the side-facing dragon design, see one attributed to the Yongle period, from the Edward T. Chow and T.Y. Chao Collections, sold in these rooms, 18th November 1986, lot 34, and illustrated in Michel Beurdeley, La Ceramique Chinoise, Fribourg, 1974, col. pl. 56, and in Sekai toji zenshu [Ceramic Art of the World], vol. 11, Tokyo, 1955, pl. 74. Furthermore, the porcelain painters of the 18th century were so enamoured with the appearance of 15th century blue and white that they developed a special painting manner to imitate the accidental imperfections of their models, namely by recreating the so-called ‘heaped and piled’ effect of darker spots of cobalt blue through deliberate uneven dotting as displayed on this vase.