Two Chinese Qing dynasty porcelain vases with gilt bronze bases

Two Chinese Qing dynasty porcelain vases with gilt bronze bases
Chinese and French, late 19th Century
Height 62cm, diameter 24cm
 
These porcelain vases are exquisite pieces of antique Chinese decorative art. They were crafted in the late Qing dynasty, which lasted from 1644 to 1911. This period in China is widely celebrated for producing beautiful, hand-painted porcelain wares. These vases were exported to France, where they were fitted with Rococo-style gilt bronze (ormolu) bases.
 
The vases are of baluster form, and are topped by domed lids with pointed finials. The vases’ bodies and lids are finely decorated with light blue, navy, purple and pink paintings of flowers, offset against royal blue, black and orange grounds. These paintings are contained within purple frames, decorated with light pink quatrefoil patterns. The vases have been beautifully painted and some sections—the flared edges of the lids, the stems and petals of the flowers, and the frames—have been gilt. Each vase stands on a gilt bronze base, which is composed of four outward-curving acanthus leaves.