Large square mallet vase (fang bang chui ping)

This is a large square mallet vase (fang bang chui ping) with a flaring mouth, a tall and straight neck, angular shoulders, a four-sided body tapering to the bottom, and a slightly concave base. This type of vase was first made during the Kangxi reign (1662-1722). The exterior of this square mallet vase is primarily decorated with the dragon-among-white flowers designs on a green wave background. All of the dragons here have two antlers and five claws. Two walking dragons are represented on the neck, between which is a flaming pearl in foreign red. One side of the body contains a full-faced dragon, whose head is green and whose scaled body is yellow, clutching a flaming pearl in one of its fore claws. On the left, a descending dragon with a gray head and a blue, scaled body is illustrated chasing a flaming pearl in front of its eyes. The side contains another descending dragon with a gray head and scaled body as well, reaching for a white flower with its fore left claw above a flaming pearl in foreign red. The last side contains an ascending gray dragon chasing a flaming pearl in foreign red above its eyes. On the bottom of each side are blue sea wave patterns. The angular shoulders are adorned with four evenly spaced double-circled medallions of a flower surrounded by lingzhi fungus against a lozenge background. Lingzhi fungus is an ingredient of the elixir of immortality and thus, a symbol of longevity. It resembles the ruyi (as you wish) scepter, or wish-fulfilling wand, popular in later Ming and early Qing art. The interior of this square mallet vase is white-glazed to the bottom of the neck while the rest is unglazed. Except for the concave center in a white glaze, the bottom of the base is unglazed, exposing the sandy white body. The dragon is one of the most important and complex of mythical animals in China. It ranks first of the "Four Supernatural Spirits", the phoenix being the second, the lin (unicorn) third and the tortoise fourth. Although its appearance always looks ferocious, it is the most benevolent of creatures. It was the god of rain, who brought thunder, lightning, rain and thus, fertility and abundance to the land. The dragon also represents the male principle of nature (yang), a symbol of vigor and fertility. In the early period it was worshiped by the Chinese as one of the four beasts of good augury. Later on, it became one of the symbolic animals of the Four Directions. It stands for the east, which is associated with the sunrise, fertility, and spring rain. Its counterpart is the white tiger of the west, the land of the underworld. The other two animals of the Four Directions are the bird of the south, and the snake and turtle of the north. In certain manifestations, the dragon exclusively represented the emperor who sat on the dragon throne and was borne aloft by dragons when he died. Since the Han dynasty, the five-clawed dragon has been the symbol of the emperor. During the Qing dynasty, vessels with dragon designs were exclusively owned by the imperial families and higher officials with special authorization from the emperor. According to the Yuanshi fuzhi (History of the Yuan Dynasty Records of the Costumes), "shangjiao wuzhua longwen chenshu bude shiyong (subjects and the ordinary people cannot be allowed to use designs of dragon with double antlers and five claws)." The restraint lasted until the end of the Qing period. Although this large square mallet vase is mostly covered with double-antlered and five-clawed dragon designs, it is evidently not an imperial vessel because there is no reign mark on it. Besides, the representation of the dragons here seems later in style than the Guangxu period (1875-1908) according to the stylistic chronology of dragon designs. Therefore, this piece should be a product made after the collapse of the Qing dynasty in 1911. It is probably an object specially designed for foreign trade