A FINE BLUE-GLAZED VASE MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

the slender ovoid body surmounted by a tall waisted neck flared towards the rim, covered overall with a rich purplish-blue glaze leaving a white edge around the rim, the interior and base glazed in white

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 9th November 1982, lot 267.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2nd November 1998, lot 313.

 

The overall condition is very good apart from a few light scratches on the glaze. The actual color is slightly deeper than in the catalogue illustration. Updated condition report: There is a paint 8mm C-shaped original potting line on the rim that is not a structural issue.
"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 extremely rare to find Yongzheng vases of this shape and glaze; see a closely related Qianlong example of smaller proportions, in the Huahaitang collection, included in the exhibition Ethereal Elegance. Porcelain Vases of the Imperial Qing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2007, cat. no. 17. For a Yongzheng vase of this form, painted with chrysanthemums and butterflies in famille-rose enamels, see one sold in our London rooms, 1^st April 1974, lot 353, and again in these rooms, 29^th November 1977, lot 158; and a smaller example, but covered in a celadon glaze, offered in our London rooms, 16^th May 2007, lot 109.

In form, the present vase is reminiscent of Yongzheng vases carved in relief with a tall band of petal lappets at the base, seen in an outline drawing published in Geng Baochang, Ming Qing ciqi jianding, Hong Kong, 1993, p. 234, pl. 400, fig. 12; and a blue and white example, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Kangxi. Yongzheng. Qianlong. Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, p. 175, pl. 4.