The pear-shaped bodies with short waisted necks are painted in polychrome.
On one side a winged dragon is depicted beside pierced rockwork and a flowering peony tree; the reverse decorated with exotic gaily plumaged birds perched on branches.
Beneath these is a basal frieze of pendant plantain leaves; the waisted neck with similar leaves reserved on blue ground petal panels, 39cm.
The 1867 Burghley Inventory records: ‘No.62 Purple Dressing Room…A pair of bottle shaped oriental ware vases painted with dragons.’
They remain there today.
