Skip to main content
curiosa
Add

Chinese Blue and White Porcelain Dragon Flask (Bianhu)

Select the photograph to look closer.

Estimated value

$80 - $250

Rarity

Ordinary(3/10)

Category

Ceramics & Pottery

Era

20th Century

Origin

China

Visual assessment

Photo-based interpretation · not authenticated

Save to revisit in your watchlist. This does not add the object to your own collection.

36

CHINESE BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAIN DRAGON FLASK (BIANHU): IDENTIFICATION

A porcelain flattened flask, commonly known as a bianhu, decorated in underglaze cobalt blue. The vessel features a rectangular profile with a domed upper section, a short cylindrical neck with a rolled lip, and two applied handles modeled as chilong (archaic dragons) on the shoulders. The central flat panels display a five-clawed dragon ascending amidst stylized clouds and rolling waves, surmounted by a large ruyi-head collar motif framing a smaller secondary dragon or floral element. The side panels are decorated with scrolling vines and floral motifs. The brushwork utilizes a flat, even wash of cobalt typical of late 19th to 20th-century production techniques.

Compare with other ceramic pieces in the archive: Chinese Blue and White Porcelain 'Dragon and Phoenix' Charger, Blue and White Moon Flask (Bianhu) with Qianlong Mark, Chinese Blue and White 'Dragon' Dish.

CROSS-CULTURAL PARALLELS

Related cultural context

Islamic World14th Century

Brass and bronze canteens of the 13th and 14th centuries dictated the foundational shape of early Ming porcelain moon flasks.

Use & cultural context

  • •Storage and transport of ceremonial liquids during diplomatic or imperial travel.

Meaning Through Time

Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)

Utilized heavily as diplomatic gifts to Middle Eastern rulers.

PRODUCTION & FIRING

The flattened moon flask or bianhu form emerged in Chinese ceramics during the Ming dynasty, specifically the Yongle reign (1403-1424), adapting shapes from Islamic metal canteen vessels. The form saw a major revival during the Qing dynasty, particularly under the Qianlong emperor (1736-1795), who

Read full story

favored antiquarian aesthetics requiring the kilns at Jingdezhen to produce complex, archaic shapes. The five-clawed dragon motif explicitly served as an emblem of imperial authority.

SCARCITY

Ordinary · 3/10 estimated rarity

This is a qualitative collection score, not a measured survival count, market percentile or proof of authenticity.

Visual assessment

Photographs alone cannot establish authenticity. The following analysis notes have not been independently verified; references to a match or confirmation are interpretations, not documentary evidence.

  • The market is heavily saturated with 20th and 21st-century Jingdezhen reproductions of Qianlong-era bianhu flasks.
  • The stiff, uniform execution of the dragon scales and waves lacks the fluidity of period Imperial brushwork.
  • No image of the foot rim or base mark is available, which is mandatory for definitive ceramic attribution.
What photo analysis can and cannot establish

ANALYSIS NOTES

AI-assisted notes based on the photographs and supplied context. These are interpretations, not an examination by a human specialist or proof of authenticity.

The single, somewhat low-resolution frontal angle prohibits evaluation of the primary diagnostic areas for Chinese ceramics: the base, foot rim paste, and maker's marks.

OBSERVATIONS & INTERPRETATIONS

  • 1Flat, uniform cobalt wash lacking the depth of layered antique applications.
  • 2Symmetrical chilong handles applied to the shoulders.
  • 3Absence of base and foot rim imagery prevents examination of paste quality and reign marks.
  • 4Five-clawed dragon motif surrounded by standard ruyi and cloud border patterns.

UNCERTAINTIES

  • •Inability to examine the unglazed foot paste for iron spotting and natural wear.
  • •Inability to verify the presence or quality of an underglaze seal mark.
  • •Brushwork on the central dragon appears rigid compared to known 18th-century imperial examples.

WHAT WOULD IMPROVE CERTAINTY

  • →Provide clear, well-lit images of the base to examine reign marks and the unglazed foot rim.
  • →Provide close-up macro images of the cobalt lines to check for pixelation (transfer printing) versus brush strokes.
  • →Check the interior neck for glaze continuation and construction seaming.
COLLECTOR GLOSSARY (3 terms)
Bianhu
A Chinese generic term for a flattened flask or canteen shape, often referred to as a pilgrim flask or moon flask in western markets.
Chilong
A stylized, often hornless mythological dragon frequently used in Chinese decorative arts as an applied handle or border motif.
Heaping and piling
A firing anomaly characteristic of early Ming blue and white wares where the cobalt pigment oxidizes black, creating a mottled effect in the blue glaze.

Condition & estimated grade

A visual condition estimate. This is not a professional grading certificate.

Condition

The visible primary face and shoulder handles appear structurally intact. The glaze shows consistent reflection without obvious crazing or matte patches that would suggest acid etching or artificial aging.

CERAMICS MARKET VALUE

$80 - $250

Estimate recorded: May 11, 2026

Estimate context (not a documented sale): LiveAuctioneers databases show modern decorative bianhu flasks consistently clearing between $80 and $200 in 2023, whereas genuine 18th-century marked examples regularly exceed $50,000 at major houses like Christie's.

Who buys this

Interior designers and collectors of Asian decorative arts seeking traditional blue-and-white focal pieces.

What increases value

  • •Presence of a period-accurate underglaze blue seal mark on the base
  • •Fluidity and nuance in the cobalt brushwork
  • •Provenance from established collections or auction houses

What lowers value

  • •High prevalence of modern mass-produced copies utilizing identical forms and motifs
  • •Damage to the applied handles, which are susceptible to breaking

What makes top-tier examples

  • •Genuine period paste and foot rim characteristics showing authentic age
  • •Exceptional brush command in the intricate ruyi borders and dragon scales

Grade & condition

Completeness of the applied handles, absence of hairline cracks at the neck, and lack of firing flaws such as glaze crawling.

Rarity & demand

OrdinaryModerate demandModerate liquidity
Browse similar ceramics objects

For informational purposes only, not a formal appraisal.

FROM THE CABINET OF

33

33336577

Wonderseeker•1 item

Questions & contributions

Explore Ceramics & Pottery

Pottery, porcelain, stoneware, earthenware, and kiln-fired objects.

Ceramics & Pottery value and rarity guide

What’s in your collection?

Keep its photographs, maker’s marks and the story you know in one object record. Start with a photo.

Add an object

Start for free. No credit card needed.