Chinese Decorative Lidded Vase, Kangxi Mark, 1950s

Elegant Chinese porcelain lidded vase in bright blue and white, with a slender baluster-shaped body and domed finial.

Dimensions: height 26.5 cm, diameter 12 cm.

The decoration is clearly inspired by classic blue-and-white ware from the Kangxi period (early 18th century), but the vase itself dates from the mid-20th century.

Around the body are two white, shield-shaped cartouches set against a deep blue ground. Inside the panels you see finely painted flowering plants, blossoms and butterflies, executed in various shades of cobalt blue. The rest of the vase is covered with a blue ground patterned with scrolling peony vines and elegant leaves. The neck has a band of diagonal lines and small scroll motifs, while the rim of the lid shows a graphic pattern of triangles and lines.

The shape and decoration are nicely balanced: classically Chinese, yet fresh enough to fit easily into a contemporary interior.

The base carries a four-character mark 康熙年製, “made in the Kangxi period” – an apocryphal Kangxi mark often found on later pieces that deliberately reference this imperial model.

In perfect condition, with no chips or restorations. A highly decorative lidded vase that makes a strong statement on a sideboard or mantel, either on its own or combined with other blue-and-white pieces.