The craftmanship and design recalls the finest work in jade from the Qianlong period. This piece was most probably carved by one of the lapidary artists in the Palace workshops. Cf. a finely carved Ming dynasty jade basin with dragons amid cloud scrolls, illustrated by Robert Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, 1996, no. 45, a similar vessel which undoubtedly provided the inspiration for the present lot.