Large Vase with Varied Glazes - View 2

The vase has a flaring mouth-rim, long neck, round body, and flaring ringed-foot. Two sides of the vase are embellished with a decorative handle in the shape of a hornless-dragon. A total of fifteen styles of glazes and enamel paints cover the vessel from top to bottom. During firing, glazes like the blue-and-white glaze required high temperatures; these would have been fired first. Glazes requiring lower temperatures, such as famille-rose and the enamel paint, would have been fired later. Such a complicated process could only have been accomplished successfully by a master craftsman skilled in working with the features of various glazes and enamels.
During the Qianlong reign (1736-1795), the creation of both the quantity and quality of the ceramic products reached unprecedented heights at the imperial kilns. Consequently, numerous exquisite works were manufactured. This large decorative enamel vase integrates various high and low fire glazes and has, thus, been called the Mother of Porcelains. Reflecting the high art of porcelain production of that time, this unique piece—currently understood to be the only extant piece—carries untold value.

full view of the item from the opposite side