Provenance:Private English Collection.Note:The subject of five boys fighting for a helmet is a very popular motif in China. Referring to the five boys competing for distinction, the narrative symbolises the blessing for one's sons to achieve outstanding results in the civil service examinations. Helmet (kui) is a pun for 'leader', which also indicates first place in the imperial examination.For related Daoguang vases, but decorated with a ruby ground around the elongated neck and foot, such as one depicting children in a Dragon Boat Race, and another decorated with fruiting pomegranate trees, see The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelains with Cloisonné Enamel Decoration and Famille-Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, pls.189 and 194.For another comparable vase with Daoguang mark and of the period, see Sotheby's sale in their Hong Kong rooms on 7th October 2010, lot 2162.