The form of this vase, along with its bow-string bands and molded mask handles, is modeled on ancient Han dynasty (206 BC – AD 220) bronze hu jars, reflecting the Qianlong emperor’s admiration for archaic prototypes and his penchant for reinterpreting classical forms in porcelain. The crisp rendering of the scrolling floral design in vibrant underglaze blue demonstrates the technical excellence and artistic refinement achieved at the imperial kilns during this period.
Comparable Qianlong-marked blue-and-white vases in the hu shape and of similar size can be found in several museum collections. One example in the Nanjing Museum is illustrated in The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, p. 235, while another in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, appears in Porcelain of the National Palace Museum: Blue and White Ware of the Ch’ing Dynasty, Book II, Hong Kong, 1968, pl. 2.