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Chinese Qing Qianlong Period and Doucai Porcelain Dragon Moonflask中国清乾隆时期粉彩及青花龙纹抱月瓶
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Original Presentation Script
Here we have a striking Chinese Qing Qianlong Period Doucai Porcelain Dragon Moonflask — a grand ceremonial form that turns a functional vessel into imperial theater. The flattened body, narrow neck, and sculptural openwork handles are classic court taste, while the great iron-red dragon coils across the surface with all the swagger one hopes for in 18th-century Chinese porcelain.
This type belongs to the high Qing world of Jingdezhen imperial kilns, where technical virtuosity and symbolic power go hand in hand. The six-character seal mark on the base reads Da Qing Qianlong Nianzhi, or 'Made in the Qianlong reign of the Great Qing.' Happily, this is one of those rare cases where the mark is not the only evidence — the painting quality, composition, and footrim wear all help support the claim.
The enamels are crisp and confident, the underglaze blue wave band is finely controlled, and the molded handles integrate naturally with the body rather than feeling stuck on. That matters. So does the underside, where the unglazed foot and old wear look consistent with age.
Condition appears very good from the photos, with expected wear to the footrim and no obvious major restoration visible. Most importantly, the provenance is unusually strong, with Sotheby's, Christie's, literature reference, and museum exhibition history.
Authenticity score: 82%. Auction estimate: $500,000-$1,000,000 if authentic period; as a reproduction, about $1,000-$2,000.
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Item Report
Chinese Qing Qianlong Period and Doucai Porcelain Dragon Moonflask
中国清乾隆时期粉彩及青花龙纹抱月瓶
By:Imperial kilns, Jingdezhen (attributed)
Style:Qing dynasty imperial porcelain, Qianlong mark and period, famille rose with underglaze blue dragon decoration
Condition:Very good (visible age wear to footrim, minor surface wear; no major damage visible in provided images)
Value:Auction estimate: if authentic period, approximately $500,000-$1,000,000; as a later reproduction, approximately $1,000-$2,000.
Peer-Reviewed Market Values
Dating Range
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Auction Liquidation
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Fair Market Value
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Replacement Value
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Comparables Used
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Research Confidence
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Peer review completed, but this run did not return structured market value ranges.
Maker's Marks / Writing:Underglaze blue six-character seal mark: 大清乾隆年制 ('Made in the Qianlong reign of the Great Qing'). Collection sticker: 'STUART COLLECTION No 135.'
Date:2026-03-26 05:52:40.688659
Description:
A large Chinese porcelain moonflask-form vase with flattened circular body, waisted neck, and molded openwork elephant-head handles. Decorated with an iron-red five-clawed dragon amidst multicolored lingzhi clouds above stylized cresting waves, with underglaze blue and famille rose enamels. The base bears a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue reading Da Qing Qianlong Nianzhi.
一件大型中国瓷抱月瓶，器身扁圆，束颈，饰镂空象首形耳。通体以矾红五爪龙穿行于彩云之间，下承海水江崖纹，并施青花与粉彩。底部书青花六字篆书款“大清乾隆年制”。
Curator Questions
Curated by Jade
Assessment:
This appears to be a high-quality Chinese imperial-style porcelain vase of Qianlong type, and the additional images significantly strengthen the case for period authenticity rather than a modern decorative copy. The enameling is precise and controlled, the dragon drawing is authoritative, the molded handles are crisply integrated, and the underside shows an old unglazed footrim with accumulated wear and a correctly placed six-character Qianlong seal mark. The documented provenance through Sotheby Parke Bernet, Christie's, a named collection sticker, published literature, and exhibition history is unusually strong and materially improves confidence. A word about copies.. Chinese imperial porcelains are among the most heavily reproduced categories in the market, especially Qianlong-marked wares, so skepticism is always essential; however, in this case the combination of quality, age-consistent wear, mark, and long auction/exhibition trail points toward a genuine Qing imperial object rather than a recent forgery.
这件器物看起来是一件高质量的中国乾隆式御窑瓷瓶，而附加图片明显加强了其为本朝真品而非现代装饰性仿品的可能性。其彩绘精准克制，龙纹笔意老练，贴塑双耳与器身结合自然，底足露胎处可见旧磨损与包浆，青花六字篆书“乾隆年制”款识位置与书写方式也较为得体。再加上苏富比、佳士得的递藏记录、藏家标签、出版著录与展览经历，这类来源信息十分有力，显著提升了可信度。A word about copies.. 中国御制瓷器，尤其带乾隆款者，是市场上仿品最多的门类之一，因此必须始终保持高度警惕；但就本件而言，其工艺质量、与年代相符的磨损、款识，以及长期拍卖与展览流传记录，均更倾向于支持其为清代真品，而非近现代伪作。
Individual Images:
whole moonflask front
upper half handles detail
detail of dragon head
lower half wave border
side view moonflask
underside moonflask
detail of Qianlong seal mark
provenance screenshot
auction webpage screenshot
Provenance:
Screenshot indicates: Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, 8 November 1980, lot 218; Property from a Canadian Collection; Christie's New York, 22 March 1999, lot 317; Property from a California Private Collection; Christie's New York, 21 September 2004, lot 331; Littleton & Hennessy, 2004; Stuart Collection, no. 135. Literature: Bruce Museum, Flora and Fauna: Themes and Symbols in the Decorative Arts of China, Greenwich, Connecticut (brochure). Exhibited: Bruce Museum, Greenwich, Connecticut, 23 June-9 September 2007.
Condition:
Very good (visible age wear to footrim, minor surface wear; no major damage visible in provided images)
Identification Score: 96%
The form, decoration, handles, palette, wave border, and seal-marked base clearly identify this as a Chinese moonflask-form dragon vase in the Qianlong imperial idiom. Multiple views, including the base and provenance screenshots, make the object type highly identifiable.
其器形、纹饰、双耳、设色、海水纹边饰以及带款底部，都清楚表明这是一件乾隆御制风格的中国龙纹抱月瓶。多角度图片，尤其是底部与来源截图，使器物类型具备很高的可识别性。
Authenticity Score: 82%
The strongest arguments in favor of authenticity is the unusually strong provenance, including Christie's auction history. The sophisticated painting, convincing footrim wear, appropriate underglaze blue seal mark reading 'Da Qing Qianlong Nianzhi' (Made in the Qianlong reign of the Great Qing), and . The object does bear a Qianlong mark, which is always a major fakery risk, so caution remains necessary. Still, the total evidence here is materially better than that seen on most modern reproductions, and I lean toward genuine Qianlong period work.
支持真品判断的最强依据包括：绘工精湛、足圈磨损自然可信、青花篆书六字款“大清乾隆年制”较为得体，以及异常扎实的递藏与展览历史。由于本器带有乾隆款，而乾隆款本身正是造假高发点，因此仍须保持谨慎。不过综合证据来看，本件明显优于绝大多数现代仿品，我倾向于认为其为乾隆本朝作品。
Image Memory Note
None
None
Keywords
Chinese porcelain, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period, moonflask, dragon vase, famille rose, underglaze blue, elephant-head handles, seal mark, imperial porcelain, China
中国瓷器，清代，乾隆时期，抱月瓶，龙纹瓶，粉彩，青花，象首耳，款识，御窑瓷器，中国
The report was edited after initial Artmink draft. Original AI draft preserved in Artmink audit history.
Fair Market Value
Pending structured market values
Replacement Value
Pending structured market values
Archived Matches
No archive matches yet
Research Confidence
Narrative peer review only
Peer Review
Key Visible Evidence
The provided images (1-8) clearly show a Chinese porcelain moonflask with a flattened circular body, waisted neck, and molded openwork elephant-head handles. The decoration features an iron-red five-clawed dragon amidst multicolored clouds, above a band of stylized underglaze blue waves (Images 1, 3, 4). The enameling appears precise and vibrant, consistent with high-quality imperial wares. The underside (Images 6, 7, 8) reveals an unglazed footrim with visible age-consistent wear and discoloration. A six-character underglaze blue seal mark is centrally placed on the base, which is confirmed to read 大清乾隆年制 (Da Qing Qianlong Nianzhi) in seal script (Image 8). A 'STUART COLLECTION No 135' sticker is also visible on the base (Images 6, 7). No major damage or restoration is evident from the provided views.
Market and Source Support
The six-character underglaze blue seal mark, 大清乾隆年制 (Da Qing Qianlong Nianzhi), is consistent in script style and character formation with authentic Qianlong imperial seal marks, as verified against established reference materials (RAG_REF_3, RAG_REF_4, RAG_REF_5). The report's claim of 'Qianlong Period' (1736-1795) is directly supported by this mark. The provenance cited in the report, including sales at Sotheby Parke Bernet and Christie's, is significantly strengthened by the identification of the subject item itself as Lot 331 from Christie's New York, 21 September 2004, which realized USD 453,900. This direct comparable (Rank 5) provides strong grounding for the object's auction history and a concrete market data point. The overall style, doucai technique, and quality of decoration are consistent with documented imperial porcelain from the Qianlong period.
Needs Verification
The report's 'style' field states 'famille rose with underglaze blue dragon decoration'. While the piece utilizes underglaze blue for waves and some cloud outlines, and overglaze enamels (which can include famille rose palette colors) for the clouds, the primary dragon itself is rendered in iron-red overglaze enamel, not underglaze blue. This specific phrasing in the 'style' field is imprecise and potentially misleading regarding the dragon's color and application technique. The technique is primarily doucai, which combines underglaze blue outlines with overglaze enamels. No further evidence is needed to clarify this point, as it is a matter of precise descriptive language based on visible evidence.
Audit Conclusion
The audit confirms that the subject item is a high-quality Chinese porcelain moonflask consistent with Qianlong imperial production. The visible evidence, including the precise enameling, authoritative dragon depiction, age-consistent footrim wear, and clear six-character Qianlong seal mark, strongly supports the period attribution. The exceptionally robust provenance, verified through external auction records, provides a high degree of confidence in the object's authenticity and market history. The value estimate provided in the report is well-supported by comparable sales, including the direct prior auction record for this specific piece. The minor imprecision in the 'style' description regarding the dragon's color application does not detract from the overall strong evidence for the object's identity and period.
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