A blanc-de-Chine tapering cylindrical vase
17th/18th centuryWith moulded lion mask handles and flaring neck, incised two-line inscription reading [東教場 關帝廟], dong jiaochang Guan dimiao. 31cm (12 1/4in) high.
注脚
The inscription would indicate a ritual purpose for the Guandi Temple – a temple to worship Guan Yu, a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China, who was deified during the Sui Dynasty and is now a much revered figure within the Chinese pantheon.