Bidspirit auction | Late 19th-Century Chinese Cloisonne Enamel

Late 19th-Century Chinese Cloisonne Enamel Dragon Bowl - A late 19th-century Chinese cloisonne enamel bowl of compressed globular form. The vessel is constructed with a copper alloy body and decorated throughout with vibrant vitreous enamels against a deep cobalt blue ground. The interior features a central, forward-facing five-clawed dragon with a brown face and yellow-scaled body, surrounded by stylized multi-coloured clouds and a flaming pearl. The exterior walls are decorated with two four-clawed dragons in pursuit of pearls amongst a dense cloud scroll ground. The rim and base are bordered by ruyi-head scroll patterns, and the shoulder is finished with a broad band of overlapping scale motifs in shades of green and blue. The base features a central rectangular cartouche in light blue enamel containing four yellow characters read vertically as 'Da Ming Nian Zao'. While referencing the Ming dynasty, the wirework style, enamel palette, and pitting are consistent with Late Qing Dynasty production. The rim and foot ring are finished with polished copper alloy bands.