An importand and monumental presentation dragon-handled silver vase

Description:

China, Beijing, marked ‘Heng Li’, late Qing Dynasty / early Republic period, c. 1900-1910
H. 30,5 cm, B. 45 cm/ 4460 g
A museum-quality, exceptionally heavy presentation vase in a classic baluster form, rising from a stepped circular base decorated with fine key-fret bands. The flared neck is finely chased in bas-relief depicting auspicious bats amidst swirling ruyi-clouds. The powerful main body is sectioned into twelve vertical lotus-petal-shaped, lobed cartouches, each richly repoussé-decorated and chased with blooming lotus blossoms and foliage. The vase is flanked by two fully-cast and finely detailed handles sculpted in the fomr of monumental imperial dragons. The highly expressive dragon heads are mounted so as to be movable and are designed to be completely detachable. Centered to the interior base of the foot with a deeply engraved historical location mark “北京中御河橋” (Beijing Zhong Yu He Qiao - Middle Imperial Canal Bridge, Peking), flanked by two workshop-specific rectangular hallmark stamps for the premier silversmith “恆利” (Heng Li).Weight: 4.46 kg.
From an old European private collection - Traces of age and use, minor wear
The workshop Heng Li, whose main headquarters in Tianjin was celebrated for producing the finest luxury silverware in Northern China, directly catered to the imperial elite and the wealthy Western diplomatic corps. The highly specific geographic engraving points directly to the Zhongyuhe Bridge, located in the absolute epicenter of the historic Beijing Legation Quarter (immediately to the east of the British Legation). Given the monumental weight of nearly 4.5 kilograms (matching the imperial 120-Tael treasury standard), the profound auspicious symbolism (bats for blessings, lotus for purity), the unique mechanical construction of the detachable heads, and the highly charged historical location, this masterpiece is undoubtedly an elite diplomatic presentation piece (Presentation Silver) commissioned during the Gengzi era of reconstruction following the Boxer Rebellion