Crackle-glazed Porcelain Vase With Blue Decoration, Signed - China, Qing Dynasty, Late 18th/early 19th Century

A crackle-glazed porcelain vase with blue decoration, signed - China, Qing dynasty, late 18th/early 19th century. Height: 23 cm – Width: 11.5 cm. An elegant testament to the pictorial refinement of 18th-century Chinese porcelain, this vase features a crackle glaze subtly enlivened by an underglaze blue decoration depicting figures moving among stylized clouds. The scene, imbued with narrative vitality, evokes the literary and mythological traditions of imperial China. Two finely modeled zoomorphic handles frame the neck, adding a sculptural dimension to the whole. The base is marked with four characters in blue, in a tradition of homage to the great periods of imperial ceramics. Although this mark is later in date, it testifies to the prestige associated with this type of production. The overall condition is good, without cracks. An old restoration is visible in the photographs, without altering the legibility of the decoration. The hole at the base suggests an earlier lamp mounting, a common practice in 19th-century European collections.