A RARE WHITE-GLAZED RELIEF-CARVED VASE, MEIPING QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

the elegant baluster body surmounted by a short fluted neck with petal-shaped rim, the sides decorated in crisp relief, the detailing knife-pared and incised, with four archaistic bat motifs hung with fruiting boughs of peach and long tassels bearing emblems tied with fruiting  ribbons, divided by shou characters above and bats below, the splayed base encircled by a band of upright lappets and the shoulders with a collar of overlapping ruyi heads beneath a frieze of stiff leaves extending up the neck, covered inside and out with a lustrous glaze of creamy tone

Collection of Edward T. Chow.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 19th May 1981, lot 518.

Zhongguo mingtao riben xunhui zhan, Nihonbashi Takashimaya, Tokyo, 1992, pp. 222-223.

The Leshantang Collection of Chinese Porcelain, Taipei, 2005, cat.no. 42.

There are a few minor glaze cracks near the foot and base and 5 short hairline cracks extending from the base, all of which are inherent to this type of soft-paste body and white glaze.
"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."

It is rare to find soft-paste vases of this exceptional quality and with such crisply relief-carved surface decoration. Qianlong period vessels of this type are referred to as 'imitating Ding ware' (fang Ding yao) after the deep opaque white glaze associated with the much celebrated 'Ding' wares of the Song dynasty. See a Qianlong vase of this type with a moulded floral decoration, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 239, together with an incense burner, pl. 240, and a large stem-plate with deeply carved floral scroll motif, pl. 241.  

See also a pair of Qianlong mark and period bottle-form soft-paste vases with carved flowers sold in these rooms, 8th April 2007, lot 725; and another vase with floral decoration from the J.M. Hu collection, sold in our New York rooms, 4th June 1985, lot 32.  A related vase carved with dragons, from the Alfred E. Hippisley collection, was sold at Anderson Galleries, New York, 30th January 1925, lot 248.