A RARE 'CLAIR-DE-LUNE'-GLAZED 'APPLE' JAR, PINGGUO ZUN MARK AND PERIOD OF KANGXI

of compressed globular form, elegantly potted with generous rounded sides rising from a concave base to an incurved mouthrim recessed into the shoulder, applied overall with a pale lavender-blue glaze, save for the base left white and inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark written in three lines

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 26th October 2003, lot 64.

There was fritting and occasional burst bubbles to the incurved rim that have been professionally filled in and restored, the old restoration covering the whole circumference of the rim. There is also a burst bubble with an associated line of stain at the shoulder of the waterpot. The colour in the illustration is slightly more bluish than the actual piece.
"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."

Compare four clair-de-lune waterpots of this form, from the Widener collection, preserved in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., published in Virginia Bower et al., The Collections of the National Gallery of Art. Systematic Catalogue: Decorative Arts, part 2: Far Eastern Ceramics and Paintings; Persian and Indian Rugs and Carpets, Washington, D.C., 1998, pp. 93-7; one in the Shanghai Museum, is illustrated in Wang Qingzheng, ed., Kangxi Porcelain Wares from the Shanghai Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1998, pl. 216; one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in Suzanne G. Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989, pl. 240; and one in the Baur Collection, Geneva, in John Ayers, Chinese Ceramics in the Baur Collection, Geneva, 1999, vol. 2, pl. 178. Another example from the Meiyintang collection was sold in these rooms 8th April 2013, lot 1.