A FINE HEXAGONAL GUAN-TYPE BALUSTER VASE SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

of sturdily potted hexagonal section, the gently shouldered body sitting on a splayed foot and rising to a waisted neck, covered overall with a thick ash-grey glaze suffused with an irregular network of thin black crackles and golden threads, the glaze stopping neatly at the footring, the base inscribed with the six-character seal mark in underglaze-blue

The overall condition is very good with only a slight lean (the custom stand compensates for the lean). The glaze is very good with only a few pinholes and faint discolourations. Please see the sales room notice for an updated footnote.
"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 vase is notable for its impressive size. No other example of this size, form and glaze appears to have been published, although a similar vase in Ru-type glaze was offered at Christie's Hong Kong, 30^th May 2006, lot 1364. Smaller vases of this shape and glaze are held in several museums and collections around the world; see one in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, published in the Illustrated Catalogue of Ch'ing Dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace Museum, Tokyo, 1981, pl. 82; one in the Baur Collection, included in Monochrome-Glazed Porcelains of the Qing Dynasty, vol. 3, Geneva, 1972, no. A343; a pair illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 2, London, 1994, col. pls 874-875; and a vase sold in these rooms, 8^th October 2008, lot 2508.   

Skilfully crafted archaistic pieces, such as the present vase, served not only an aesthetic function but were also intended to evoke the past and to signify the emperor's all-encompassing role as preserver of Chinese cultural traditions. The Qianlong emperor amassed a huge collection of ancient art objects and had pieces imitating favourite vessels in his collection. The form of this vase derives from the hu, an early ritual bronze vessel of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, while the glaze expertly imitates guan ware, one of the most celebrated official ceramic wares of the Southern Song dynasty. By combining a precious glaze with an ancient form, this vase is suggestive of a deep appreciation and respect for the past and the want for its preservation.

For the Song prototype of this vase, see one in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, inscribed with Qianlong poems, included in the Illustrated Catalogue of Sung Dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace Museum. Southern Sung Kuan Ware, Book II, Kyoto, 1974, pl. 3.