Blue-and-white Vase with Design of Dragon among Clouds

This blue-and-white vase bears a design of two dragons vying for a pearl, above a seascape and rectangular spirals around the foot. “Award vases” such as this one were specially made for the emperor to present as prizes to his subjects. First made during the Yongzheng era, this type of vase was more often decorated with interlocking lotus design rather than with a dragon-among-cloud design.