Vase; China, Qing Dynasty, Daoguang Period

Vase; China, Qing Dynasty, Daoguang Period, 1821- 1850.
Hand painted porcelain.
Signed on the back.
It shows signs of use and wear.
Measurements: 30 x 22 x 22 cm.

Porcelain vase that presents prolific hand-painted ornamentation in the form of bucolic scenes starring philosophers of wisdom sitting in the shade of trees sharing teachings with peasants. Lush gardens with chrysanthemums and birds of paradise alternate with richly polychrome borders and foliate motifs.

Emperor Daoguang, also known by his temple name Emperor Xuanzong of Qing, personal name Mianning, was the seventh emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the sixth Qing emperor to rule China proper, reigning from 1820 to 1850. His reign was marked by "external disasters and internal rebellions." These included the First Opium War and the start of the Taiping Rebellion, which nearly ended the dynasty. Historian Jonathan Spence characterizes Emperor Daoguang as a "well-meaning but ineffective man" who promoted officials who "presented a purist vision even though they had no say in the internal and external problems surrounding the dynasty."