Important Chinese Porcelain Vase With Polychrome And Gold Decoration, Mounted In Gilt Bronze, 19th Century.

Important Chinese porcelain vase, Canton or Nanking, with polychrome and gold decoration, mounted in gilt bronze, 19th century
Height: 78 cm – Width: 44 cm Elegant Chinese porcelain vase, Canton or Nanking type, with polychrome enamel decoration and rich gold highlights.
The body is decorated with a lush composition featuring a large bird with finely detailed plumage, treated with great technical virtuosity and highlighted by gold highlights. Around this central motif unfolds lush vegetation populated with symbolic flowers, butterflies and fruits.
The peony, the dominant flower of the decoration, is in China the emblem of wealth, beauty and distinction, often called "queen of flowers". Butterflies, represented in flight around the bouquets, are a symbol of marital happiness and longevity. We also note the presence of half-open pomegranates, a direct allusion to fertility and abundance, due to their numerous seeds.
As for the long-feathered birds, they evoke grace and nobility, and in some cases the mythical image of the fenghuang, the Chinese phoenix, a symbol of peace and prosperity.
The neck of the vase echoes this refined decorative vocabulary, enlivened by polychrome butterflies and flowers in full bloom, accentuating the prosperous and sumptuous character of the whole.
This naturalistic and symbolic decoration is magnificently enhanced by a finely openwork rococo-style gilt bronze mount: leafy scroll handles, a chiseled ring, and a base with four curved feet.
This association illustrates the 19th-century taste for “Far Orientalism” and the art of montage, which combined Chinese export porcelain and French bronzes in a spectacular decorative synthesis.
Mounted as a lamp at a later period, this large vase (H. 78 cm, W. 44 cm) constitutes a remarkable example of the alliance between the iconographic richness of Chinese porcelain and European ornamental know-how, witnessing the taste of 19th century collectors for ceremonial pieces.