Large porcelain vase "All nations come across court", famille rose, 20th century

Porcelain vase decorated with pink and gold glazes. The shape of the body is ovoid, with a wide base, with a neck that narrows in the center and extends to the mouth. On the sides it is flanked by a pair of handles in the shape of a mythical beast (chilong) enameled in blue. 

Painted around the body is a long continuous panel depicting a paradise. It shows a landscape with distant mountains and a large river with a bridge surrounded by vegetation. It stages a scene of "All nations come to the court", in Chinese "万国来朝", when the anniversary of Emperor Qianlong. Numerous characters cross the bridge riding mythological animals, horses or walking from different parts of the world to bring presents or tributes to the emperor. They are all heading to the same place with the appearance of a walled city. The scene is framed by a line of "ruyi" on a blue (top) and pink (bottom) background that continues with a line of petals and branches. Acting as a separation between the shoulders and the neck, it has a border with continuous Buddhist patterns in underglaze blue enamel, in the same manner as on the base, in that case with fretwork.

The shoulders are decorated with a line of scrolled floral elements, with a yellow background, followed by another on a pink background. In the center and vertically there is an open lotus flower, a Buddhist emblem "precious fish" and a bat. Close to the upper border is another line of ruyi on a yellow background. The registers are separated by golden rings, as are the lower and upper rims, partially worn. The interior and base are covered with a pale turquoise glaze and has a square seal, in reserve and red glaze, of six characters "大清乾隆年制" Qianlong. A similar vase is in the Bejing Museum.

Height: 73 cm; Mouth diameter: 25, 50 cm; Base diameter: 21,80 cm.

Provenance: private collection, France.