This is a very large and beautiful famille verte square vase with a rare peacock blue ground and elaborate painting of dragons. The massive thickly-potted vase has a wide rectangular shoulder rising from a splayed foot. The square neck flares toward a flat square mouth rim. The precise and elegant potting is demonstrated by the respective concave and convex sides to form the superb shape. The exterior walls are decorated in fine transparent green, yellow, and black famille verte enamels with five-claw dragons in various position among flaming pearls, waves and clouds motif. The reserve ground is filled with a beautiful finely-crackled peacock blue enamel. The rectangular base inside the wide unglazed foot rim is glazed white and is inscribed with a 8-character Kangxi date and hall mark in cobalt blue. The mark reads "Kangxi Kui Chou Zhong He Tang Zhi, Made by The Hall of Neutral Harmony in the Year of Kui Chou (cyclic year of 1673)". The hall mark refers to the residence hall of the Kangxi Emperor in the Summer Palace, Yuan Ming Yuan. This majestic vase is a beautiful example of Kangxi period famille verte ware from the Imperial kiln. Except for a small chip at the stepped foot, this large square vase is in excellent condition with superb painting and wonderful enamels on an imposing vessel.
Size; height; 41.5cm; body dimension: 15cm X 14.7cm