Impressive Chinese White Porcelain Vase. Late XIX Century. Stamp of Wang BingRong

Great Chinese porcelain vase which belongs to the kind known as Chinese White Porcelain. This vase shows a flat surface which has been carefully carved and adorned with the figure of a big dragon floating over the sea. The dragon is an antique Chinese symbol used to represent the imperial authority, and it was also a deity in charge of rain and water. It is often thought to bring good luck, especially when the dragon has five fingers in each claw, as in the current case. If we turn this vase upside down, at the base we will discover the stamped mark of Wang BingRong, a renowned Chinese bamboo carver and ceramist who made many pieces from 1862 to 1908, and was famous for his great ability to carve porcelain in the same way that jade and ivory can be carved. This vase shows a sober and elegant silhouette, with a stylized and soft wavy shape. But surely what most attracts our attention is the carving of the dragon, which only covers one side of the piece. The mythological animal seems to be floating in the sky over the sea, and its face is highly expressive, with widely open mouth and eyes. The carving of the dragons scales is especially remarkable: they have been carved individually, like the moustaches and the different parts of the head. At the bottom of the vase there is a wavy border which seems to depict the sea. In fact, at the rear we can see a small carving of a fish sitting on the waves. This motive is made with the same delicacy and attention to detail as the dragon. Coming out of the mythological being there are some carvings depicting flames, while there are also some small clouds scattered in the sky. This vases great beauty and the wonderful carving work it shows turn it into a high-quality masterpiece, as valuable as admirable, which will delight any collector of antique Chinese porcelain. Measurements: 150 mm width x 305 mm height.