A fine and rare famille-rose’Dragon’ brush, seal of Qianlong (1736-1795)
The bulbous body with a long cylindrical handle surmounted with a globular finial. Brightly enamelled in puce with two ferocious five-clawed pink dragons chasing flaming pearl. Their facial features, scales and flowing mane picked out in gilding. The mythical creatures each with a scaly body terminating in muscular legs and sharp claws. The beasts writhing amidst in underglaze blue stylized scrolling lingzhi-shaped clouds against a milky-white ground. The tip of the terminal with an underglaze-blue six-character seal mark. The brush is missing. This brush ranks among the finest produced in Jingdezhen for the court during the reign of Qianlong. Porcelain brush handles were rare as opposed to brush handles made out of jade, bamboo, wood and cloisonné. Brush handles were made out of porcelain for the court since the early 15th century. The form of the present brush, with its bulbous mouth, seems to originate in late Ming dynasty brush handles. 7 Inches / 18 CM High. 1 1/4 Inch / 3 CM Top. 3/4 Inch / 2 CM Middle. 2 Inches / 5 CM Body. 1 1/2 Inch / 4 CM Bottom. In excellent condition with no chips, crack, and restoration.