Bidspirit auction | Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period: Doucai

Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period: Doucai 'Precious Lotus' Scroll-Flower Pattern Paper-Mallet Vase - Of paper-mallet form, this vase rises with a tall, straight neck and neatly finished rim, expanding gently into a full, globular body before tapering to a precise, well-formed foot — balanced and graceful in every curve. The entire piece is coated in a fine, luminous white glaze with a soft, subdued sheen. The neck is adorned in distinct registers: a crisp key-fret band below the rim, followed by blue-enameled ruyi cloud-heads and a yellow-ground frieze of composite blossoms with flowing petal outlines; the transition at shoulder is clear and harmonious. The main body features doucai-style interwoven sacred lotuses — central blooms fully open, vines curling gracefully — glowing in harmonious red, yellow, celadon, and green, expertly spaced and delicately painted. A border of formal lotus petals encircles the foot. The base bears an underglaze blue seal-script reign mark: “Made in the Qianlong Reign of the Great Qing Dynasty”. Superbly crafted, the vessel exudes the refined dignity of imperial manufacture.