Identification
Photo reference
5 uploaded photos
Overview
A vibrant, barrel-shaped porcelain cricket cage featuring a hand-painted green imperial dragon chasing a flaming pearl against a brilliant yellow ground. The pierced lid is designed in the shape of a traditional Chinese cash coin, allowing air to circulate inside the vessel.
Story
This piece was likely produced in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, China, a historic center for porcelain manufacturing. Items of this style, featuring traditional motifs like the imperial dragon and flaming pearl on a Famille Jaune (yellow) ground, were heavily exported during the 1970s and 1980s for the Western decorative market. The pierced 'cash coin' lid is a traditional functional design for housing crickets, though these modern examples are primarily decorative.
Maker / Origin
Unattributed
Condition & Value
The seller reports 'no damage,' which is a strong positive for porcelain of any era. The presence of the original pierced lid is crucial, as these are frequently lost or broken, rendering the piece incomplete.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
The secondary market for mid-to-late 20th-century Chinese export porcelain is highly saturated, with standard decorative items trading as accessible collectibles. Cricket cages appeal to niche collectors of Chinese cultural items and general decorative arts buyers. Prices for these later, mass-produced examples are stable but modest, typically moving reliably when priced under $40 on broad online marketplaces.
▲ Intact original pierced lid is present, which is essential for the form's completeness and value
▲ Vibrant Famille Jaune (yellow) ground with dragon motif offers strong decorative appeal
▲ Reported 'no damage' condition avoids the steep discounts applied to cracked or chipped porcelain
▼ Unverified base — lack of an older reign mark or specific maker attribution limits the piece to the decorative export tier
▼ High market saturation for late 20th-century Chinese porcelain keeps the ceiling low
Best Venue
List on a broad secondary marketplace like eBay or Etsy, as this is an accessible decorative piece rather than fine antique porcelain. A Buy-It-Now price of $30 to $35 with 'Best Offer' enabled is a practical listing posture. Ensure the listing title highlights the 'Famille Jaune' ground, the dragon motif, and the intact pierced lid to maximize search visibility.
Upside Potential
If the base features an authentic, period-correct mark from an earlier era (e. g., Republic period or earlier) rather than being a 1970s export piece, the value could shift significantly higher into the $100-$300 range.
Also found — market-range context
Surfaced during research but not used to anchor the valuation — wrong form, species, era, or no published price. Shown so the market range around this item is visible.