This beautiful solid brass bowl is a genuine piece of Chinese Export Brassware, dating from the late Republic to the mid-20th century. During this era, specialized artisan workshops in major trading hubs handcrafted decorative brass items specifically for Western collectors and luxury department stores.

The bowl features an intricately hand-etched traditional Chinese dragon (Long) at its center, a benevolent symbol of power, strength, and good fortune. The deep basin design was traditionally intended to metaphorically "pool" wealth and luck within the home. The surrounding cloud and botanical motifs were hand-tapped with chisels while the bowl was spun on a lathe, creating a wonderful, rhythmic texture characteristic of early-to-mid century Chinese metalwork.

The underside bears a hand-stamped "CHINA" origin mark. This single-word English stamp was used to comply with Western import laws of the era. It also features a hand-stamped "0/5" workshop inventory mark, used by the makers to track the specific size and shape in the workshop registry.

• Diameter: 25 cm
• Height / Depth: 9 cm

No major dents or deep scratches. Consistent with authentic, hand-finished brass from this era, the piece features minor original workshop soldering burns on the metal base from its creation, proving its handmade heritage.

Please see all photos for a closer look at the stunning etched details.