A pair of Chinese porcelain vases, probably with French gilt-bronze mounts. Of broad-based baluster form, with truncated waisted neck and spreading mouth, spreading foot and glazed base. Painted in white slip with, on one side, a flowering prunus and growing peony, and on the reverse, a prunus branch; on the neck, another prunus spray. with the handles on the neck removed, and painted similarly on either side with a flowering prunus and a smaller prunus branch on the neck. On the celadon-glazed base, in blue, is the six-character reign-mark Da Qing Qianlong nian zhi (‘Made in the reign of the Qianlong emperor of the Great Qing’) written in seal script. Each top rim is mounted with a circular gilt-bronze moulded lip of vine leaves and grapes, attached to which, on either side, are handles in the form of entwined fruiting vines following the contours of the neck and crossing over four times, and extending outwards at the top rim to join back together. The vines are fixed to the circular foot mount below, consisting of a berried laurel wreath raised on a plain square plinth.

For the furnishing of Carlton House, and subsequently the Royal Pavilion, Brighton, the Prince Regent acquired numerous celadon vases with French gilt-bronze mounts, many of which are overdecorated in white porcelain slip. Where necessary, elaborate mountings were commissioned from Vulliamy and other London craftsmen; and for Brighton, to maintain the brilliance of the galleries, they were often converted into candelabra.

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