A Chinese porcelain vase mounted as a ewer with French gilt bronze. With flattened ovoid body and tubular neck encircled by a chi dragon, the glaze streaked with brown mottling to simulate stone, and the dragon in black on RCIN 39202.1 and in matching celadon glaze on RCIN 39202.2. The head has been removed to accommodate the mount. The upper part of the neck has been cut to accommodate a spouted gilt-bronze mouth with a mask cast on the underside; the neck cast with an inverted lambrequin pattern, divided by acanthus foliage with dotted guilloche, above a ribbed ring hung with heavy ribbon-bound and tied oak-leaf garlands on the front and sides, and a rising square-section loop handle with reeded sunken side panels and ribbon-and-reed cast rear panel. At the shoulder and at the base of the handle, there is a beast emerging from foliage. Below the handle is a foliate acanthus spray and two descending husks. The base is enclosed by 16 leaves above a ring of dripping rockwork, and a further ring with Vitruvian wave on a pounced ground, over a spreading foot with fluted lambrequin pattern and hung with four ribbon-tied laurel garlands, on four block feet, each with a sunken panel with a flowerhead.

Jutsham Dels I.312 notes: ‘These Vases were bought of Mr. Fogg, 1814’. They are illustrated in the Saloon at the Royal Pavilion, Brighton, standing on a pier table between the windows. The gilt-bronze marine monster mount at each side, from which emerges a square-section handle with recessed reeded side panels, is identical to those found on a faïence vase at Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire.

Text adapted from Chinese and Japanese Works of Art in the Collection of Her Majesty The Queen: Volume II.