19th Century Large Chinese Qing Blue and White Porcelain Vase With Foo Dogs and Double Happiness

A Qing Chinese porcelain vase with baluster-form, hand-painted with cobalt blue decoration of “shuang-xi” or “double happiness” symbol representing happiness in marriage, amid continuous scrolling vines interspersed with poppy flowers, a symbol for beauty and success. The neck and shoulder have a geometric key design, and there are applied sculpted porcelain foo dogs for handles. “Foo”, “fu” or “shi” dogs are actually the lion guardians that historically were considered to offer protection. Chinese art is rich in symbolism. Since Chinese is a language with many homophones, with the sound of a word sounding much like the sound of a concept or series of words, it has given rise to a vast language of symbols that is transmitted in Chinese art & culture. For example, the word for “vase” is “Ping” – which is a symbol for peace, since the word “vase” in Chinese sounds much like the word for “peace”.

Age: 19th Century
Dimensions: H – 42.5cm / 16.5 in
D – 18 cm / 7 in
Condition: Good antique condition, there is a crack on one side, photos available. (The photos are also part of the description so please take a good look)