A LARGE AND RARE UNDERGLAZE BLUE AND COPPER-RED LANTERN VASE QING DYNASTY, YONGZHENG / QIANLONG PERIOD

painted with the Three Star Gods rendered in typical fashion with the God of Rank and Affluence, Luxing, standing on the left and holding a boy, symbolising the wish for healthy children; Fuxing, the God of Happiness and Wealth towering centrally, characteristically painted as a head taller than the rest and wearing a plaque that reads 'imperial favour bestowed from the emperor' (qinci); and the God of Longevity, Shoulao, holding a gnarled staff and identified by his large forehead and cloak of shou characters, with boys holding respectively peach, lingzhi, prunus, chrysanthemum and pomegranate, amongst a deer and two cranes standing beneath a pine tree with gnarled trunk, the flared mouth and splayed foot with bands of flower heads and ruyi

A private Swedish collection whose grandfather collected Chinese porcelain and purchased the vase during the 1940s-1960s.

The vase is in very good condition with only the rim slightly ground. There are a few minute glaze pulls along the top of the neck of the vase and a 2mm glaze frit at the foot. The colours are very even throughout and well controlled.
"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 large and finely potted vase is impressive for the expertly painted scene and highlights the technical proficiency of Qing period artists to suit contemporary taste. While the confident cobalt lines of the handsomely depicted figures and creatures create an aesthetically pleasing scene, it is only upon close inspection of the piece that the exceptional skill of the painter is realised. Details such as the short flecks that embellish the robes of the gods and the fur of the deer, coupled with the elaborate decorative bands that encircle the neck and foot, would certainly have satisfied the taste of the Qing court. Moreover, such successful rendering emphasises the expertise of 18^th-century artisans in handling the unstable copper-red pigment, which could easily run or fade during the firing process.

The unusual form of this piece appears to be a modified version of the cylindrical and rouleau vases made popular during the Kangxi reign; the straight lines of their predecessors have been replaced with a fuller body, while the foot and rim are almost bulbous. See a larger vase of closely related form, similarly painted with this design, sold in these rooms, 19^th May 1982, lot 261. Compare also an example decorated with deer and pine trees from the Wang Xing Lou collection, included in the exhibition Imperial Perfection. Chinese Palace Porcelain of Three Great Emperors, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, 2004, cat. no. 27; and another with Qianlong seal mark and of the period, decorated with deer in a landscape sold at Christie's London, 9^th December 1985, lot 124. A blue-and-white lantern-shape vase of similar proportions and painting technique, but of less rounded form and painted with mythical creatures in a landscape, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red, vol. 3, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 135.

The Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors favoured works that were visually stunning but that were also steeped in tradition and auspicious associations. The deer (lu) and bat (fu) represent Luxing and Fuxing respectively, as they are puns on the words for blessings and rank, and together with the pine tree and peach symbolise longevity. Vases of different forms and painted with this subject matter are found in various colour schemes; for example see a blue-and-white urn in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published ibid., pl. 110; a famille verte rouleau vase in the Leonard Gow collection, illustrated in R. L. Hobson, The Leonard Gow Collection of Chinese Porcelain, London, 1931, pl. 212; and a famille-rose baluster-form vase attributed to the Yongzheng period, sold at Christie's London, 16^th November 1999, lot 241.