A 'FAMILLE-ROSE' LIME GREEN GROUND BOTTLE VASE JIAQING MARK AND PERIOD

the globular body rising to a waisted neck and flaring rim and painted with a dense design of lotus, peach sprays, pendant bats, florets and endless knots interspersed on a lime ground between a thin border of ruyi heads at the rim and a band of key-fret at the foot

Collection of George Weishaupt.

Sotheby's Amsterdam, 16^th October 1995, lot 28.

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 30^th April 1996, lot 509.

From the Dragon's Treasure, Museum fur Kunsthandwerk, Berlin, 1987, cat. no. 23.

This brightly enamelled vase is in very good overall condition with the exception of rubbing to the gilding on the rim and very minor glaze scratches.
"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 vase is unique for its combination of form and decoration; for a slightly smaller Jiaqing vase of this form see one decorated with two wide bands of lotus scrolls on a green ground, sold in our New York rooms, 4^th June 1982, lot 280. For the prototype of this vase, see a Qianlong example depicting peach branches and bats amidst lotus scrolls on a lime-green ground, but flanked with bat-shaped handles, sold in these rooms, 6^th December 1994, lot 213.

The intricate composition of auspicious motifs amongst leafy floral scrolls suggests that the present vase was produced as a marriage gift. Two facing butterflies represent a joyful encounter and marital happiness, the bats are a pun for blessings while peaches are symbolic of longevity. Gunhild Avitabile, in the exhibition catalogue From the Dragon's Treasure, Museum fur Kunsthandwerk, Berlin, 1987, p. 33, interprets the meaning of the motifs as 'May good luck (fu), longevity (die represented twice – twice seventy years) continue (lian) without interruption (symbol of the knot)'.