Moon-flask

Chinese porcelain endured varying degrees of popularity in America during the eighteenth century. The “China craze” of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries led to an expansion of business operations for Chinese porcelain merchants. The decorative elements are not typical of wares made for export, and may have instead been intended for Chinese consumption rather than for sale in a global market.
This flask is richly painted. A long, undulating dragon is shown full faced with horns, whiskers, and five-fingers, the latter a motif in Chinese iconology reserved for items created specifically for the Emperor and his immediate family. The dragon connotes strength, power, and wisdom, symbolizing the Emperor himself. This dragon clutches the pearl of potentiality, representing truth, life and wisdom. There are flames attached to the pearl and around the dragon’s head; flames symbolize the yang principle of the ancient philosophical principle of yin and yang. The yang portion is the positive, active life force and the yin force is negative and passive. A field of stylized clouds, symbolizing fertility, surrounds the dragon. At the base of the flask are exuberant waves crashing on rocks. The rocks symbolize permanence and the waves represent the home of dragons. Lastly, there is a small bat painted at the neck and foot of the flask symbolizing happiness.