Tribute to the green dragon

Ornamenting a porcelain vase fashioned in China at the turn of the19th century, he was the ambassador of Asia.

The Chinese dragon was the star of this Jiaqing-period jar – similar to an example in Taipei’s National Palace Museum – which sold for €57 ,728 , out of a high estimate of €15 , 000 . For once, the creature, moving in duet between a frieze of ruyi heads and Buddhist objects (bajixiang) and a string of stylized lotus panels, stands out in green rather than blue against the porcelain’s white background. Appearing during the reign of Chenghua (1465-1487), the eighth Ming emperor, imperial objects in this chromatic range remained in vogue until the Qing dynasty (1662-1796). Incised into the cookie and glazed in green and black after a first firing until themid-17th century, the dragons were then systematically painted over a transparent glaze. Born under the Tang (618-907), the meipingform was illustrated by a15th century blue-white porcelain vasedecorated with peonies and foliage (h. 33.5 cm), negotiated at €10 ,496 . Then there’s Japan, with a hasami-bakotravel chest (35.2 x 60 x 42.5 cm ) from the Edo period (1603-1868 ) fetching €14 ,432 . In gold and silver maki-e lacquer on a black background, it is adorned with sheaves of rice punctuated by nine coats of arms, and its large ormolu fittings and spandrels are chased with scrolls and sapèques. Carved during the Sui dynasty (581-618), the white marble Buddha or monk torso (see Gazette no. 9) was not snapped up.