An antique Chinese porcelain cylindrical hat stand (maotong), Republic period, circa 1912–1949. Finely hand-painted in famille rose (fencai) enamels with a continuous garden scene: two elegant ladies, one holding a circular fan, watching boys at play beneath a willow tree, among flowering prunus branches, lotus, peony, and garden rocks, beneath a red sun in stylized blue clouds.
The scene is accompanied by a calligraphic inscription opening "gui zi lian sheng" — an auspicious wish for the successive birth of noble sons — with a painter's inscription and signature. Iron-red double band at the rim. The unglazed base shows honest age and wear consistent with the period.
Measurements: Approximately 11" tall and almost 5" diameter.
Condition: Very good antique condition. No chips, cracks, or restoration noted. Please review all photos, which form part of the description.
A handsome example of Republic-period porcelain painting for the collector of Chinese ceramics.