Object Description
A large ormolu mounted Chinese porcelain jardinière
French and Chinese, Late 19th Century
Height 102cm, width 80cm, depth 63cm
Combining Chinese porcelain with French metalwork in the form of gilt-bronze mounts, this excellent decorative piece is a large and grand jardinière, standing over a metre in height. Dating to the late nineteenth century, they feature whimsical, tranquil natural painted scenes on the main body, with a busy garden scene full of various flowers and exotic colourful birds scattered in the undergrowth. On the interior, fish swim round the walls, while a large, yellow, circular petal pattern lines the base.
The ormolu mounts, on the other hand, are grand and majestic; a pair of dragons stand proud on either side, while a set of four, lavish, foliate arced legs raise the porcelain high. An excellent display piece, it combines two remarkable centres of craft to create a unique decorative work.