Why are so many sold in pairs?

Nineteenth-century Canton production was aimed at the European export trade, and matched pairs and garnitures were made for mantels and cabinet tops. The habit shows in the record. 'Pair' appears in around a third of all titles on Sellingantiques, and 'large pair' is common enough to be its own recurring phrase.

What does the 19th Century date usually mean?

It usually means the century and nothing narrower. Of 257 listings, 98 sit in an undifferentiated 19th-century bucket, and only 110 carry a clean year at all. The dealer date field runs from 1700 to 1940. Decade buckets are thin and spread, with the 1900s, 1930s, 1920s and 1880s each holding a modest handful. 'Late' and 'early' turn up in titles as the finer grain most pieces get.

How large do these vases get?

Very. Stated sizes in the listings include 60.5cm, 92cm, a lacquered vase over a metre tall, and a pair of export lacquer temple vases at 86 inches. The language escalates with the size, from 'large' through 'huge' and 'enormous' to explicitly monumental floor vases and temple jars.

Are there named makers for Chinese vases?

No. A scan of the descriptions across this category returned no maker, workshop or kiln business at all. What listings name instead is the palette, the body, the shape and, where a dealer feels able, a reign or dynasty.

What does a Kangxi mark on a vase indicate?

Kangxi leads the reign names here, in 14 titles, with single appearances for Shunzhi, Wanli, Yongzheng, Tongzhi, Daoguang and Transitional wares. Dealers often cite the mark or the style rather than making a dated attribution, and the wording in the description tends to say which is meant.

Which types sit at each end of the range?

The top is occupied almost entirely by Cantonese rose medallion pairs and large blue and white double-gourd and dragon vases. The bottom holds small single cloisonné pieces and plain monochromes. Between them sit the great mass of 19th-century famille rose and blue and white porcelain.

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Antique Chinese Vases

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Chinese porcelain and enamel vases made for display, from small cloisonné pieces to monumental floor vases, and reaching the UK market in quantity from the 19th-century export trade.