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Chinese Blue and White with Underglaze Red 'Dragon' Bottle Vase, Qianlong Mark

Chinese porcelain bottle vase with underglaze blue waves and copper-red dragon decoration, featuring a Qianlong seal mark on the base. - view 1
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Estimated value

$400 - $1,200

Rarity

Average(4/10)

Era

Late 19th to early 20th century

Origin

🇨🇳 China

Authenticity

Low(25%)
9

CHINESE BLUE AND WHITE WITH UNDERGLAZE RED 'DRAGON' BOTTLE VASE, QIANLONG MARK: IDENTIFICATION

A porcelain bottle vase (tianqiuping variant) decorated in underglaze blue and copper-red. The body features a five-clawed dragon amidst stylized 'cloud and mist' motifs, rising above turbulent cresting waves. The base bears a six-character underglaze blue zhuanshu (seal script) mark of Emperor Qianlong.

Compare with other ceramic pieces in the archive: Alabaster Urn-Shaped Vase, Han Dynasty Style Glazed Ceramic Boar Figurine, Chinese Blue and White 'Three Friends of Winter' Stem Cup, Ming Style.

PRODUCTION & FIRING

The combination of underglaze blue (cobalt) and underglaze red (copper) was a technically demanding process revived during the Qing Dynasty, particularly under the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1736–1795). Copper red is notoriously difficult to fire, often turning grey or liver-colored if the kiln ...
The combination of underglaze blue (cobalt) and underglaze red (copper) was a technically demanding process revived during the Qing Dynasty, particularly under the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1736–1795). Copper red is notoriously difficult to fire, often turning grey or liver-colored if the kiln atmosphere is not perfectly reductive. While the mark indicates the 18th century, the crispness of the wave lines suggests this may be a late 19th-century Guangxu period or early 20th-century Republic period production utilizing an apocryphal Qianlong mark.

SCARCITY

Average55-70%
CommonLegendary

Typical antique shop fare. Requires some searching but regularly available. This is where most genuine antiques fall.

Rarity 4/10. Curiosa currently catalogues 101 ceramics items at rarity 4 or higher.

Typical Characteristics

  • Standard antique shop items
  • Regularly available
  • Moderate collector interest

Confidence Factors

  • The seal mark displays mechanical precision often associated with late 19th or 20th-century 'mark and period' style copies.
  • Copper-red distribution lacks the 'heaped and piled' unevenness found in authentic 18th-century imperial examples.
  • The wave pattern at the base is rendered with modern linework consistency.

Expert review recommended. Consider consulting a specialist before making purchasing decisions.

How does authenticity detection work?

CERAMICIST'S ASSESSMENT

Asian Art Specialist

East Asian Art Expert

Identification of the type and mark is certain, but dating requires physical examination to distinguish between late Qing and Republic period production. The high-risk score reflects the high volume of apocryphal Qianlong marks in the market.

KEY EVIDENCE

  • 1Presence of a six-character Qianlong zhuanshu mark.
  • 2Technical combination of cobalt blue and copper red pigments.
  • 3Use of five-clawed dragon iconography.
  • 4Footrim showing a rounded 'bull-nose' profile common in later Qing porcelain.

UNCERTAINTIES

  • •The blue lines in the wave pattern are too uniform and lack the tonal depth of 18th-century cobalt.
  • •The base glaze is exceptionally white and lacks the slight 'muslin' texture or greenish-blue tint (yingqing) often seen in early Qianlong wares.

WHAT WOULD IMPROVE CERTAINTY

  • →Provide a high-resolution, magnified image of the mark to check for hand-drawn vs. stamped characteristics.
  • →Examine the interior of the neck for glaze 'crawling' or iron spots.
  • →Perform a weight-to-volume test to assess porcelain density.

CONDITION & GRADE

Grading breakdown

Grade assessment requires physical inspection for resonance (sounding the porcelain) and UV light examination for professional restoration.

Condition

Glaze appears intact with no visible hairlines or chips in the provided images. The unglazed footrim shows typical light oxidation and kiln grit.

CERAMICS MARKET VALUE

$400 - $1,200

Updated: May 11, 2026

Who buys this

Generalist Asian art collectors and interior designers seeking the classical 'imperial' aesthetic.

What increases value

  • •Clarity of the copper-red pigment
  • •Absence of hairlines or restoration
  • •Precision of the seal mark calligraphy

What lowers value

  • •The market is heavily saturated with 20th-century copies of this specific motif
  • •Loss of color in the copper-red firing (grey zones) significantly lowers value

What makes top-tier examples

  • •Genuine 18th-century provenance
  • •Sophisticated use of 'shading' in the cobalt clouds
  • •Translucent 'mutton-fat' quality to the porcelain paste

Grade & condition

Glaze integrity, pigment vibrancy, and footrim condition.

Rarity & demand

AverageModerate demandModerate liquidity
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For informational purposes only, not a formal appraisal.

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