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Lot Essay
The impressive size of these "soldier" vases necessitated exceptional technical skill in potting, firing, and enameling, making their production, typically in pairs or sets of four, both challenging and costly. Adorned in a refined famille-rose palette against a gilt-decorated powder blue ground, they depict elegant ladies amidst a flower garden, framed by geometric cartouches.
The terms "soldier" or "dragoon" are often applied to vases of this monumental size, referencing an event in 1717 when Augustus the Strong (1670-1733), King of Poland and Elector of Saxony and a passionate porcelain collector, traded a regiment of 600 soldiers for a collection of porcelain. This exchange included several substantial blue and white Kangxi-period vases, which originated from the collection of Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia and were housed in his porcelain collection at Schloss Oranienburg.
The opulent style of these vases exemplifies the height of chinoiserie’s popularity in 18th-century Europe. In response to contemporary European tastes, elements of Baroque and Rococo aesthetics began to permeate the repertoire of Chinese craftsmen. Traditional Chinese motifs were synthesized with Western styles, as evident in the elaborate lambrequin panels alongside more traditional Chinese designs.
The terms "soldier" or "dragoon" are often applied to vases of this monumental size, referencing an event in 1717 when Augustus the Strong (1670-1733), King of Poland and Elector of Saxony and a passionate porcelain collector, traded a regiment of 600 soldiers for a collection of porcelain. This exchange included several substantial blue and white Kangxi-period vases, which originated from the collection of Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia and were housed in his porcelain collection at Schloss Oranienburg.
The opulent style of these vases exemplifies the height of chinoiserie’s popularity in 18th-century Europe. In response to contemporary European tastes, elements of Baroque and Rococo aesthetics began to permeate the repertoire of Chinese craftsmen. Traditional Chinese motifs were synthesized with Western styles, as evident in the elaborate lambrequin panels alongside more traditional Chinese designs.