Vase with European Figures
c. 1750–70
Jingdezhen, China
China
Two figures representing European merchants kneel at either side of this vase. Although it was made in China at a time of intense European demand for Asian porcelain, its decoration is not characteristic of export wares but instead of pieces made for the Chinese imperial court. The vase may have been made for the Qianlong emperor as a tribute to European admiration for Chinese porcelain.
Enameled hard-paste porcelain