BRONZE 'DRAGON' BOTTLE VASE
QING DYNASTY, 18TH-19TH CENTURY
清 銅蟠龍紋瓶sturdily cast with slightly compressed globular body on splayed foot, raised to cylindrical long neck, a dynamic sinuous dragon coiled on the neck in high relief, the face, mane, spine, muscles rendered in detail, all elevated on an integrated openwork square base 
33cm high; 3655g
From the collection of George Forrest (13 March 1873 - 5 January 1932). George Forrest was an important Scottish botanist born in Falkirk. In 1904, he was sponsored by a horticulturist and cotton broker- Arthur Kilpin Bulley (1861-1942), to embark on an expedition to China's then-remote southwestern province of Yunnan, in search of plants new to horticulture in Europe, particularly species of rhododendron. Altogether, Forrest made seven trips to the region, ranging as far afield as upper Burma, eastern Tibet and Sichuan province. In 1932, he passed away just outside of the town of Tengchong, previously known as Tengyue or Tengyueh.His Asian Art collection was partially donated to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. This vase was on loan for decades, loan number ‘A.L.331.6’, with an associated museum label tied on the base inscribed ‘Loan 331/6’, deaccessioned in 2023, thence by direct descent. The old photograph of the vase (see illustration 1) was possibly taken next to the China Inland Mission Moongate in Dali, and another photograph shows Mr Forrest outside the same moon gate around 1905 (see illustration 2).We would like to express our gratitude to 'George Forrest / Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’ for providing the old photographs and their information. 
See two related bronze vases with dragons on the neck, one dated to the late Ming dynasty, 17th century, sold at Christie's New York, 25 Sep 2020, lot 1606; and one dated Qing dynasty, 18th century, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 6 Apr 2015, lot 164.