A Chinese metal alloy vase of double gourd form, decorated with a four-clawed dragon coiled around the exterior. The neck fitted with an integral, matching ewer with hinged cover and knop finial; the base with a bold four-character seal mark. 51 cm high and with base diameter [including the gourd-shaped feet] about 23 cm. Probably Qing Dynasty. Provenance: The Property of a Lady. From a Private UK Collection. The seal mark here may be significant in terms of offering some indication as to the maker of this vase. For other comparable marks, attributed by the author to the late Ming or Qing Periods, see page 57 of Professor Jonathan Hay's 'Sensuous Surfaces/The Decorative Object in Early Modern China' [ISBN 978-0-8248-3361-9]. Tall vases of gourd form were well established by the Ming Dynasty, offering an implied association with the devotion of Daoist thought and belief. See for instance page 93 of Volume 4, 'A Journey into China's Antiquity', compiled by the National Museum of Chinese History [1997]. The authors of this reference work illustrate a 58cm high Ming blue and white vase of gourd form, decorated with the Eight Daoist Immortals, emphasising the gourd's significance. Although the gourd form appears in the Qing Dynasty also, it is notable that Yongle Emperor was a devotee of The Daoist Deity, Zhenwu, restoring Zhenwu's monasteries on Mount Wudang [Source: The BP Exhibition, '50 Years that Changed China'/BM Catalogue page 226]. This Imperial lead, followed by the Daoist following of both the Jiajing Emperor [1507-1567] and The Wanli Emperor [1563-1620], doubtless contributed to a wider inclusion of gourd iconography and art throughout the Ming years. Please note that there are areas of fatigue, wear and repair to this vase. Notably the base has several areas of metal repair.
