Elegant Chinese Porcelain Vase with Lid. 19th Century. Imperial Qianlong Seal

Elegant and fine Chinese porcelain base, with white background and motives carved and painted in various colors. Although it is marked with the Qianlong seal, it is a piece from the end of 19th century or the begging of XX century. Qianlong was a Chinese emperor who governed China from 1736 to 1795. The vase has the Qianlong imperial stamp on the base and, even not being original from that time, it is really an antique piece, highly beautiful and interesting. The vase is in good condition and shows its original colors, greatly splendorous. The engraved and hand-painted images depict some butterflies flying among different types of flowers. The motives are full of color and movement, and are bright and very attractive. The butterfly is the Chinese symbol for the spirits of the ancestors, and this leads us to believe that the vase was actually a funerary urn designed to keep the ashes of the beloved ones. The shape of the vase and its width are also details that reinforce this theory. The base shows the typical brownish color due to the firing of the porcelain into the furnace; this detail can also be seen in the edge of the cover. The delicate white background makes a nice contrast with the polychrome decoration, loose and dynamic, formed by the drawings of butterflies and flowers. The motives are sketched in black ink with firm strokes, and afterwards have been colored in green, pink, red, blue and violet. The nice curves of this beautiful piece combine with its magnificent polychrome to make a wonderful and antique vase, which will undoubtedly delight the most demanding collection of Eastern porcelain pieces. Measurements: 210 mm width x 270 mm height.