Decorated in the famille rose palette, with two mandarin ducks in a lotus pond.
Decorated in the famille rose palette, with two mandarin ducks in a lotus pond.
A garniture of three vases with a very similar design, from the collection of the kings of Bavière, is in the Munich Residence.
Mandarin ducks are referred to by the Chinese as yuanyang, where yuan and yang respectively stand for male and female mandarin ducks. In traditional Chinese culture, mandarin ducks are believed to be lifelong couples unlike other species of ducks. For that reason, they are considered a symbol of conjugal affection and fidelity, and are frequently featured in Chinese art.