A CELADON-GLAZED DOUBLE-GOURD VASE QIANLONG SEAL MARK AND PERIOD

elegantly potted with a globular lower bulb rising to a waisted neck and a smaller upper bulb tapering to a narrow mouth, covered overall with a pale sea-green glaze draining to a white rim, the base with a seal mark in underglaze blue

The double gourd is in good general condition with the exception of minor glaze inconsistencies and surface wear. The colour is of a slightly warmer celadon tone compared to the catalogue illustration.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This vase is remarkable for its luminous celadon glaze, the purity of which accentuates the graceful curves of its profile. A pair of vases of this type in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, is illustrated in Suzanne G. Valenstein, The Herzman Collection of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1992, pl. 98; one, from the Zande Lou collection, was included in the exhibition Qing Imperial Monochromes. The Zande Lou Collection, Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2005, cat. no. 42; a third, from the collection of Frederick J. and Antoinette H. Van Slyke, was sold in our New York rooms in 1989, and twice in our Hong Kong rooms, 27th April 1993, lot 80, and 8th April 2011, lot 3020; and a pair was sold in our New York rooms, 11th May 1978, lot 208. See also a slightly smaller vase of this type, in the Meiyintang collection, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 2, London, 1994, pl. 864.

Vases of this form are also known with their matching covers, such as a vase in the Nanjing Museum, Nanjing, included in the exhibition Qing Imperial Porcelain of the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong Reigns, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1995, cat. no. 69; another published in Chinese Porcelain. The S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, vol. 1, Hong Kong, 1987, pl. 160; and a third from the Jingguantang collection, included in the Min Chiu Society exhibition Splendour of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1995, cat. no. 212, and sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28th October 2002, lot 723.