A pair of Chinese porcelain vases fitted with English gilt-bronze mounts. Pear-shaped, the tall necks cut down and side handles apparently removed. Painted over the celadon glaze in bright enamels are chrysanthemums growing by rocks. Mounted in a similar manner to cats RCINs 46.1-4 and RCIN 881. The mouth rim is fitted with a lotus calyx, and rising above, a leafy stem with flower-like canopy from which emerges a lotus-flower shaft, with three layers of stylised lotus leaves with projecting grape bunches surmounted by small but thickly cast scrolls; out of the shaft emerge five grooved, angular ‘Chinese bracket’ branches set at equal angles to each other, but with a broad space at the rear for ease of positioning close to a wall. Each branch with an inward facing dragon curled about the rectangular-section horizontal bar, the tail of the dragon forming a spreading nozzle and drip-pan, the underside of which is cast with stylised scales, the nozzle now fitted for electric light. The underside of the branches with bells. At the crossing of the four branches is a graduated four-ball finial with burnished flèche or spire. The underside of the vase’s spreading lotus calyx rim is cast with a deep collar of downward-pointing strips with pearl tips, the sides formed of descending dragons, with tails hovering above the lotus calyx, of the same form as those found on cat. 1391. The circular foot with a repeating pattern of elongated diamond motif over a pounced ground, on a plain circular foot ring and green marble veneered plinth with rosewood edge strips.

Vulliamy’s invoice of 5 October 1819 describes ‘Mounting in the same style’ (as RCINs 46.1-4): ‘2 green chinese porcelain Bottles 2 Dragons being substituted for handles which the shape of the Bottles did not allow being used and the top is enlarged with a lotus cup out of which springs a flower and similar candelabra to those described above but only for 3 lights each finished in a similar manner £140--'  (National Archives LC 11/28). In 1822, Vulliamy increased the number of candle arms from three to five: ‘Altering a pair of Or=moulu [sic] 3-light Candelabra mounted upon China Bottles to carry 5 lights each … the whole highly chased and very strongly gilt in Or molu to correspond with the old work. £37.10.– ..' The dragon handles are identical to those on the vase with copper-red glaze supplied in 1807, RCIN 881.

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