Of bulbous body, long neck with swelling mouth, the vase is painted in underglaze copper-red with two dragons pursuing pearls among clouds and flames between two bands of diaper. Above the main dragon decoration, a narrow band of lingzhi fungus-scrolls and a row of plantain leaves. Height:30cm, Auction Comparison: Compare the related underglaze red dragon vase, dated the same period with the similar appearance at the Sotheby’s on 1st and 2nd April, 1974, lot363. Literature Comparison: See A Dealer’s Hand: The Chinese Art World Through the Eye’s of Giuseppe Eskenazi, London, 2012, p.168, pl.164. Also a similar piece is preserved in V&A Museum collection on display at China, Room 44, The T.T. Tsui Gallery Provenance: Private estate collection from Toshio Nomura. Toshio Nomura (1930-2014) was a Japanese businessman in Kansai area and a private collector. His maternal grandfather, Hisashi Ueno, began working at the Tianjin Concession Consulate in 1913. During his 27 years in China, he collected a large number of Chinese works of art, with a wide range of interests, particularly in porcelain and metal pieces. WALNUT TREE AUCTION HOUSE provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client, and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater.