An extremely rare blue and white 'shou medallion' meiping, Mark and period of Yongzheng | 清雍正 青花團花壽字紋梅瓶 《大清雍正年製》款

Offered at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5th November 1997, lot 1447.

上拍於香港蘇富比1997年11月5日，編號1447

This blue and white vase represents the innovative design of porcelains during the Yongzheng period. From the beginning of his reign, the Emperor took a keen interest in the work of various imperial manufactories in his empire, particularly the Imperial kilns at Jingdezhen where artistic direction was led by his personal taste.

Yongzheng vases of this design are extremely rare, and only one closely related example in doucai is known. Formerly in the W.W. Winkworth Collection, it was first sold in our London rooms, 12th December 1972, lot 121 and was later part of the British Rail Pension Fund, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 16th May 1989, lot 68. It was most recently sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 29th May 2007, lot 1464A. Compare also a related blue and white meiping of similar size, but decorated with prunus scrolls after a Ming prototype, from the Qing Imperial Collection, illustrated in Qinghua youlihong / Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (III), Hong Kong, 2000, pl. 73.