Moon Vase

A Vintage 20th C.

Chinese Red Lacquer / cinnabar lacquer Moon Vase with fine detailed carving.
The collar surmounted with stylised handles on either side, oval panels with carved leafage opposite.
The shoulders of the vase carved with curling tendrils emanating from a lotus blossom each bearing elongated panels carved with meiping and xiantuiping shaped vases holding floral displays.
Recto and verso, lobed panels, bordered by bats and peony flowers, a total of eight bats.
The centre panel exquisitely carved, a plum tree with curling twisted branches an abundance of flowering blossoms, buds and leafage, growing beside a rocky outcrop. A seated bird on an upper branch tweets to the bird perched on a flowering bough below.
The compositions all set against a diaper ground.
The foot with curling tendrils and lotus flower.
Inside and base lacquered black.

A truly auspicious vase containing so much symbolism , Feng Shui 风水. (風水).
Lotus (he 荷, lian 莲) The lotus is the flower of the sixth month and summer. It is a symbol of purity because it rises out of the mud to bloom. Lotus blossoms are often depicted as a throne for the Buddha, and the lotus is one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism (ba jixiang 八吉祥)

Peony (mudan牡丹) is a symbol of spring and female beauty and reproduction. It also represents richness, honor and high social class. It is a favored flower for the 12th wedding anniversary.

Plum blossom (meihua 梅花) As the first flower to bloom each year, the plum blossom stands for renewal and emblematic of perseverance and purity. Its appearance while the weather is still cold makes it the flower of winter while spring belongs to the peony, summer to the lotus and autumn to the chrysanthemum. The five petals of the plum blossom are auspicious since the number five is sacred in China

Bat (fu 蝠) The bat is a symbol of happiness and joy. The Chinese for bat (fu 蝠) sounds identical to the word for good fortune(fu 福) making bats a popular Chinese rebuses. Five bats together represent the ‘Five Blessings’ (wufu 五福): long life, wealth, health, love of virtue and a peaceful death.

Number 8 (Ba八). 8 Bats on this vase . Long been regarded as the luckiest number in Chinese culture. With pronunciation of 'Ba' in Chinese, no. 8 sounds similar to the word 'Fa', which means to make a fortune. It contains meanings of prosperity

Refer Large Images for details and condition Depending on your computer monitor / phone / etc colour may vary to actual.
Purchased by the former owner in Shanghai. With Original Certificate from where purchased - refer images

Note:
Red / cinnabar lacquers (mercury sulfide) darkens over time with exposure to light.

Condition: This magnificent Moon Vase is in absolute pristine mint condition.

Measurements as close as possible
Height : 27.3 cm
Width : 21.4 cm
Depth : 7.9 cm
Weight : 985 grams
A$1100