A very rare Green-Enamelled ‘Dragon’ Bottle Vase, Daoguang iron red six-character seal mark and of the period (1821-1850). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2013

Potted with a long neck and globular body, the exterior is enamelled in green and black with three five-clawed writhing dragons confronting a 'flaming pearl' among floating clouds, between gilt borders on the mouth rim and base. The interior and base are enamelled turquoise, with an iron-red mark reserved to the centre of the base. 10 3/4 in. (27 cm.) high, box. Estimate $129,374 - $194,061

Notes: This vase is very rare and no other example of the same shape and design appears to have been published. A few jars with similar dragons confronting a 'flaming pearl' are published. A jar painted with two dragons in pursuit of a pearl was included in the exhibition, Imperial Porcelain of Late Qing, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 13 August - 25 September 1983, p. 76, no. 58. Another was sold at Christie's New York, 24-25 March 2011, lot 1744. The Qianlong prototype of the same design is illustrated in Chinese Porcelain, The S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, vol.1, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 1987, p. 156, pl. 114.

A Daoguang-marked bottle of the same shape and pattern but with the decoration in black enamel was included in the Exhibition of Qing Ceramics from the Seikado Bunko Art Museum, Tokyo, 2006, and illustrated in the Catalogue, p. 83, pl. 75.

Christie's. THE YIQINGGE COLLECTION OF CHINESE CERAMICS. 29 May 2013. Hong Kong