**This is an oversized piece that may require special shipping. Please inquire for a quote prior to bidding.

East Asia, China, Qing Dynasty, ca. 19th century CE. A stunning pair of blue-on-white porcelain vases, skillfully hand-painted with decoration of Shuang-xi or "double happiness" symbols representing contentment in marriage. Each of the elegant vessels present graceful forms with concave walls that carinate to a sloped shoulder, a narrow, elongated neck, and a flared rim, all sitting upon a ring-form base. Their exteriors boast elaborate decoration with continuous, scrolling vines, interspersed with poppy flowers - a symbol of beauty, success, and many children - along the bodies and necks, while spiraling clouds with flying mythological creatures adorn the shoulders and a meander motif representing eternity embellishes the rim. Each neck is flanked by a pair of petite, openwork handles, all in the form of confronting fu lions or fu dogs. Size of each (both are relatively similar): 10" Diameter x 22.9" H (25.4 cm x 58.2 cm); 25.3" H (64.3 cm) on included custom stand.

Foo lions or foo dogs are usually presented in pairs outside of a palace, temple, government offices, or tomb to protect those within, representing the male and female as well as yin and yang. Symbolically, the male protects the outside, and the female protects the inside of the dwelling. Initially featured in Chinese palaces and tombs, foo dogs became popular in other parts of Asia such as Japan, Korea, Tibet, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Taiwan, Singapore, and Nepal. The foo dog is actually a guardian lion, and the term foo dog is a western name for the Chinese "shi shi", the guardian lion, who since the Han Dynasty has stood in statue form protecting Imperial palaces, tombs, temples, and government offices. Interestingly, lions were brought to Chinese courts as early as the Han dynasty; however, most artists relied on second-hand sources for descriptions, resulting in very stylized figures, often mistaken as dogs by western viewers.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-M. Kobiashi collection, Hawaii, USA, acquired from 1960 to 2000

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.

Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#168874

Expected surface wear with a few nicks, pitting, and abrasions to some areas. Otherwise, both are intact and excellent with impressive remaining pigments and detail.