Featured Little Green Dragon Vases, European or Chinese?

This is one of a pair of little green vases, diameter at the rim about 2.5 inches. There are no marks underneath, and I can't figure out who made them, or when. I think the technique is majolica, and I find the colours quite pleasing. One dragon is rather fierce and looks traditional Chinese. The dragon (I think) on the other side is very strange, it looks like it has a claw at one end and a fish tail at the other. The lump on its back is the same on both vases, so must be in the mould, but why I can't imagine. Does anyone have any idea where they came from? Did the Chinese make majolica like this?

 

Lovely. I get a Japanese vibe, but maybe @Mat or @Ce BCA will have to correct me on that.

 

Agree with AJ, looks Japanese, the dragon has caught the pearl of enlightenment.

 

He finally got it.

 

Yes, it's very odd depicting it being caught, perhaps a Western importers requested it

 

Shape is jardiniere.

 

Thank you all for your insights! Japanese wasn't something I was thinking of, nor was jardiniere. I have seen small glass vases shaped like this from the 1930's, I always wondered what they were for. They seem very small for growing a plant, perhaps they are just ornamental jardinieres? I do love the dragons. Do you know what the lump on the back of the smaller dragon is? And any idea of the date of the vases? Sorry for so many questions, but I really like them and want to now all about them!

 

Just for ornament, although I'd use them for cacti.

 

I've certainly never seen it before. No more unattainability or balance of energies. No wonder the world is in the state it is in now.

 

Good idea, I'll look out for small, undemanding cacti!

 

Pot them in a little plastic pot, then use your little things as holders, easier to water them separately.