A set of six bottle-shaped Chinese celadon porcelain vase fitted with French gilt-bronze mounts. With ovoid body tapering into a tall neck, the cover a low dome with pomegranate and peach knob. Decorated with the Eight Buddhist Emblems and attributes of the Eight Immortals. The mouth is fitted with a spreading petalled gilt-bronze rim, with pendent swags on either face of oak leaf and acorn, each swag cast separately. On each side are handles of entwined acanthus stems, with upper terminals of swans’ heads emerging from acanthus which rest along the rim, issuing from inverted cornucopiae with beaded guilloche rim on the sides below issuing flowers, a coronet, medals, a Maltese cross, wheat ears, vines, branches, leaves and a miscellany of other items, on either side of bearded masks of a river god crowned with bulrushes. The foot sits within a rosette guilloche band, and under the base is suspended a berried acanthus finial, the four legs formed from lions’ heads and clawed feet.

Perhaps those noted in R. Fogg’s invoice, 5 April 1818: ‘Six large Japanese China Vases richly enamelled with flowers -- £376.00’ (National Archives LC 11/25); and possibly those later mentioned in Fogg’s invoice of 5 January 1823: ‘Four or Moulu Mountings for four large China Bottles Richly chased & Gilt with decorations of Swans heads large Massive handles & ornamental Pedestals £520--’ (National Archives LC 11/38). The missing two could be identified in an invoice from Fogg for ‘A pair of Sea Green Jars. Enameld in Flowers £100.-.-’ (National Archives LC 11/39); the cost of £50 per vase would approximate to the previous order where the cost per vase was £105, but included the mounts. The vases are a notable feature of the Saloon at the Royal Pavilion, where four may be seen in Pugin’s watercolour of 1823–4.The mounts on this set of vases correspond closely to those on at least two further sets of vases. A set of six Chinese vases with celadon glaze painted in white slip and famille rose enamels was fitted with twin handles of entwined swans reaching to cornucopiae which spill the same ornaments found on RCIN 2348.1-2. The same pattern of mount, but in greatly reduced scale, is found on a pair of Sèvres vases (RCIN 21436. 1–2), possibly purchased for George IV by Benois at a cost of £82, part of a bill totalling £333 dated 2 June 1827 (Royal Archives GEO/ MAIN/26453).

Although the vases are Chinese, dating from 1780-1810, the gilt bronze mounts are French and probably date from the first quarter of the nineteenth century.

A series of large celadon vases with enamelled decoration was acquired by George IV and mounted in gilt bronze, at first for Carlton House, but later to decorate the principal galleries at the Royal Pavilion, Brighton.

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