Baluster vase - Porcelain - China - Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) - Foo Dog Finial

An exquisite antique Chinese Canton Famille Rose (Rose Mandarin / Rose Medallion) porcelain baluster vase with its original domed cover, dating to the late Qing Dynasty (Tongzhi / early Guangxu period, c. 1870–1890).

Design and Decoration:
The baluster body is richly enamelled in vibrant overglaze Famille Rose colours with fine gilding. The central panels depict alternating classical motifs:
- Courtyard / Pavilion scenes featuring Mandarin dignitaries, ladies, and attendants in elegant garments.
- Naturalistic compositions of perched songbirds, butterflies, blossoming peonies, and ripe auspicious fruits (peaches and pomegranates symbolising longevity and abundance).
- The shoulder displays four shaped reserves enclosing "Boys at Play" (symbol of good fortune and prosperity) amidst scrolling floral sprays.
- Applied with a pair of finely sculpted gilt Buddhist lion / taotie mask handles with loose mock rings.
- The matching domed cover is surmounted by a fully modelled, intact seated Foo Dog (buddhist lion) finial with gilt finish.

Dimensions:
- Height with cover: approx. 26 cm
- Height without cover: approx. 22 cm

Condition:
Presented in very good, well-preserved antique condition:
- The body and neck rim are intact with no chips, hairlines, or repairs.
- Both relief mask handles and rings are complete and undamaged.
- The domed lid and the Foo dog finial are in intact original shape (no broken or glued ears/tail).
- Minor, authentic rubbing to the gilding and glaze rims, with tiny kiln-related iron spots, fully consistent with 19th-century manufacture.

Provenance:
From a private German collection of an Asian art specialist and collector.

Shipping:
Will be professionally packed with double boxing and premium protective materials. Dispatched insured with tracking.