A FINE AND RARE MINIATURE BLUE AND WHITE AND 'FAMILLE-ROSE' 'TROMPE- L'OEIL' VASE SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

of finely potted baluster form with low rounded shoulders rising to a short neck, finely moulded around the body with a ribbon-tied sash delicately decorated in bright 'famille-rose' enamels in elaborate detail with colourful roundels and florets, the sash in pink enamel and softly curling to reveal the light yellow on the underside with a finely pencilled diaper ground, all reserved on a composite floral scroll ground delicately painted in soft tones of underglaze-blue, the base inscribed with the six-character seal mark in underglaze-blue  

Private Collection, Switzerland.

The vase is in very good condition overall. There is faint body line under the glaze stemming down from the mouthrim approx 0.5cm. The yellow enamel has been slightly misfired, so there is some bubbling to the enamel. The pink is slightly softer in tone than the illustration suggests.
"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."

The present piece is a fine example of the refinement of materials and craftsmanship achieved during the reign of Yongzheng. Technically innovative and unconventional yet aesthetically pleasing, pieces such as this vase with the design in relief cleverly executed to appear silky and textured like real cloth are remarkable ceramic trompe-l'oeil.

A related example of very similar design, but on a yellow sash lined in white and the underglaze-blue flowerscroll heightened with blue enamel, was sold in these rooms, 19^th November 1986, lot 276; and another vase and cover, but with flowers and densely scrolling leafy stems on a yellow ground, sold in these rooms, 5^th November 1996, lot 874. Compare also a bottle with a coloured sash knotted over blue enamel prunus branches but with a Qianlong seal mark in blue enamel in the Musee Guimet, Paris, illustrated in Hugh Moss, By Imperial Command. An Introduction to Ch'ing Imperial Painted Enamels, Hong Kong, 1976, pl. 66. 

This vase is also interesting because it is clearly inspired by two cultures. Chinese influence can be seen in the shape of the jars; see a related Yongzheng jar of larger size decorated with florets illustrated in Kangxi. Yongzheng. Qianlong. Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, pl. 45. The painted knotted design is a Japanese concept reflecting Japanese packaging customs often seen on Japanese lacquerware. For examples of lacquer boxes see those included in the exhibition Toyo no urushi koegi (Oriental Lacquer Arts), Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, 1977, passim; and a Chinese lacquer box conceived after Japanese designs, from the Qing Court Collection, included in Imperial Packaging Art of the Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2000, pl. 161.