Beschreibung:

A massive Chinese famille rose 'foreign ambassadors' vase, Daoguang period (1821-50), finely painted to one side with a scene of exotically dressed foreign ambassadors bearing tribute accompanied by exotic animals, in a rocky landscape near a city gate, the reverse with figures looking up toward a crane in flight above an Emperor and court figures amid pavilions, trees and rockwork, the neck applied with a pair of chi-dragon shaped blue enamelled handles, 77.5cm, some damage to neck and foot Estimate £5,000-7,000 Provenance: the vendor's grandfather was a collector of antiques and acquired the vase at auction or from the London trade sometime between 1950 and 1970. Literature: This vase tells the story of foreign tributes made to the Ming Court. In Chinese history, the Yongle Emperor initiated the construction of a treasure fleet in 1403. The treasure voyages were the seven Ming-era maritime voyages of the treasure fleet between 1405 and 1433. The Chinese maritime missions brought many foreign countries into the nation's sphere of influence. In 1419 the fleet returned to China accompanied by foreign ambassadors who were received at the Ming court on the eight lunar month (21 August to 19 September) of 1419. Their tribute included lions, leopards, dromedary camels, ostriches, zebras, rhinoceroses, antelopes, giraffes, and other exotic animals causing a great sensation among those at the Ming court. There is a 7cm wide x 3cm high section of the rim broken into two pieces and re-stuck ith a slight splintering around it, with an associated crack running across the whole of the unglazed base starting from a firing crack to the inside of the foot. This continues as a vertical 11cm crack up from the base through some painted rockwork. There is a black speckling to the glaze around the neck and to the lower half of the vase, slight wear to the gilding on the rim.