Lot Essay
Two identical cisterns are in The Palace Museum, Beijing (fig. 1). These vessels in the Imperial Kitchen of the Palace of Earthly Tranquility would most likely have been used for the storage of water.
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THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN
A RARE MASSIVE IMPERIAL BLUE AND WHITE 'DRAGON' CISTERN
18TH/19TH CENTURY
Details
A RARE MASSIVE IMPERIAL BLUE AND WHITE 'DRAGON' CISTERN
18TH/19TH CENTURY
Strongly potted with rounded sides and a lipped rim, painted around the globular body with four ferocious coiled dragons chasing flaming pearls amidst flame and cloud scrolls, all above crashing waves
27 in. (68.5 cm.) wide
18TH/19TH CENTURY
Strongly potted with rounded sides and a lipped rim, painted around the globular body with four ferocious coiled dragons chasing flaming pearls amidst flame and cloud scrolls, all above crashing waves
27 in. (68.5 cm.) wide
Provenance
From an old German collection formed in Beijing before 1911.