A very fine pale green jade 'dragon' vase, Qianlong. Photo: Bonhams

The smooth and slender vase embellished with a deeply-carved five-clawed scaly dragon encircling the long elegant neck, the front right claw reaching for a rounded flaming pearl while the dragon breathes further flame strands from its nostrils, the body further carved with gently foaming waves above the stepped foot, wood stand. 16.6cm (6 1/2in) high (2). Estimate £20,000 - 30,000 (€25,000 - 37,000)

Provenance: Bluett & Sons, Ltd, London (label)
An English private collection formed by the grandfather of the present owner

Notes: The crisp and lively carving of the present lot is indicative of the Qianlong style. Similar confident and vigorous carving can be seen on a pale green jade vase but with a more bulbous body illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 10: Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, no.41; a vase and cover in the Qing Court Collection, but with two dragons pursuing a single pearl, is illustrated in ibid., no.23.

A related but slightly larger pale green jade 'dragon' vase and cover was sold in these rooms, 17 May 2012, lot 17. Another white jade example from the collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2006, lot 1412.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART. London, New Bond Street, 15 May 2014 - http://www.bonhams.com/