This near pair of Qianlong mark and period doucai jars shown below right were a charity shop find for a keen-eyed London vendor.
An old paper label to the base of one reading Chen Lung suggested they might just have been worth the outlay of £20.
The 5in (12cm) jars, which differ in the border decoration, are finely painted in underglaze blue and enamelled in iron-red, yellow and green enamels with a pattern of lotus and chrysanthemum blooms. The type is believed to be modelled after Chenghua prototypes. Originally, they would have flat-topped covers with similar decoration.