A COPPER-RED VASE (MEIPING) QIANLONG SEAL MARK AND PERIOD

the high shouldered body tapering to a slightly flared foot supporting a short waisted neck, covered overall in a rich red glaze, pooling to a deeper tone at the foot, the base incised with a six-character seal mark

There is a 1 1/2 inch bruised crack to the foot eminating from the base and running just over the footrim and onto the body. There are a few surface scratches around the widest part of the body, including a 1 1/2 inch area with noticably heavier scratches. In good overall condition.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The use of copper-red glaze at Jingdezhen was revived by the Kangxi emperor after the decline in usage during the late 15th, 16th and early 17th centuries. With the effort to reproduce classic Ming sacrificial-red (jihong) porcelains, Qing copper-red pieces quickly outnumbered their Ming counterparts. Nigel Wood in Chinese Glazes, London, 1999, p. 180, notes how the French Jesuit missionary, Pere Francois D'Entrecolles (b. 1664-1741) wrote letters giving detailed accounts of the copper-red production at Jingdezhen, the sourcing of the copper for the glaze, the recipes and the kiln location of the firing of these wares. D'Entrecolles was aware of the difficulties involved in the making of copper-red wares and his account confirms the high level of technical knowledge of the potters at Jingdezhen. Although copper-red pieces can be readily found from the Kangxi and Yongzheng periods, by Qianlong's reign they become fewer in number. A small number of Qianlong mark and period examples are recorded. See a slightly smaller meiping in the Roemer Museum, Hildesheim, also with a Qianlong reign mark and of the period, illustrated in Ulrich Wiesner, Chinesisches Porzellan, Mainz am Rhein, 1981, pl. 99; and another sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 10th April 2006, lot 1521. Another vase of this form and glaze, from the collection of Professor Ross Edman, was sold in these rooms, 23rd September 1995, lot 426 and again, 18th March 2008, lot 151.