Until the 20th century, the artisans of China seldom worked as independent artists. The majority of the time, they worked as a group in a workshop, specializing in one particular aspect of the production of art. I give a lot of credit to the artist who created this whimsical design of a pair of playful puppies, one stood on its hind legs nibbling the ear of the other. I know, I have studied Chinese art in graduate school, and short of seeing playful puppies portrayed in Chinese paintings, whimsy is not on the vocabulary. Now that I have paid tribute to the original design, I can say the cloisonne work is excellent. On the turquoise blue background that covered the bodies of the puppies, double C scrolls were painted in hues of red, green, blue, yellow and white. The tips of ears, teeth, paws and tails were in gilt. From the openings on one of the tails and on two paws, the original work was once attached to a larger unit. I surmise that the puppies could have been a decorative element attached to a larger unit, perhaps an incense burner. Please note one the the puppies has a cover on its back and could have been a container for incense. The wood base is a much later addition.
Dating: 19th century
Dimensions:
Please note the measurements given included the base. On their own, the puppies have the following dimensions: 8.5 inches x 5.5 inches x 4.25 inches high
Condition: in good antique condition, no chip or crack