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can you help me out with the reading of the marks on the bottom of my vase.

There are 6 marks and I can recognize 5 of them.
I am having trouble with the one on the bottom right side.

Is this a Kangxi vase?
If not, can you tell me what it is?

Thanks in advance,
Hanna.(The Netherlands)

It's a six character Kangxi mark, but there's not much Kangxi style in the vase. The dragon and its scales look to be painted in the late 19th to 20th century 'crosshatch and dot' manner, but your photos are too small to discern much else.

Best regards,

Bill H.

Thanks for the reply.
According to the rules of posting an image, I cannot put a larger image on the forum.

According to a dutch antiquair, some 20 years ago, the vase should be appr. 250 years of age and because of the red and white color and the fact that the dragon has more toes on his claws the story I have been told is that this vase was specially made for the emperor.
It is hard to find out if this information is correct. And if not, what is it exactly?

Hanna, there are many factors for looking at ceramics.

What Bill said about 'cross hatch and dot' as a way to draw dragon scales is one way to tell probably 20th century (or very late 19th century). Since the dragon represented the Emperor, was usually very well painted during times when Imperial power was strong. So need know a little history - that after 1860s Qing Dynasty power was in decline, and when not in power artists did not need show dragon as carefully naturalistic-ferocious.

Feature of 5 claws represent imperial dragon is generally true, especially since Ming Dynasty, but on one hand there were exceptions and on other anyone could draw 5-claw dragon in years (say) 1880, 1920, 1970, 2010 as well as 1745. Same is true for characters say same as reign mark.

Other factors more important than reign-mark for tell when made include color of porcelain, quality of glaze, shape of foot and footrim, shape of piece overall, quality and type of decorate, colors and quality of enamels used in decorate.

While can not tell from your photos if design was transfer-printed, at least some things are traditional in form, such as the curved-forked things that represent flames. But the almost triangular items supposed to represent clouds are not quite traditional form. Overall stylistically the decoration ~could~ be early 20th century instead of ca. 2009.

Good luck,
Cal

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