A BLUE AND WHITE 'LOTUS' VASE SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF JIAQING

the ovoid body supported on a low foot and surmounted by a tall waisted neck flaring at the mouth, the midsection painted in deep cobalt tones with foliated lotus scrolls meandering around four winged and single-horned dragons, their serpentine bodies terminating in trifurcated tails, each pair of dragons confronted with a lotus bloom and descending bat between them, all below a ruyi collar, the neck decorated in four upright lappets formed from curling tendrils, the base inscribed with a six-character seal mark

The mouth of the vase has been professionally restored and repainted to an area extending approx. 3 cm below the rim, covering an area approx. half the mouthrim where breaks have been refixed.
"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 design on this vase appears to derive from a Qianlong prototype, such as one previously sold in our London rooms, 29th March 1977, lot 266; and in the Leshantang collection, illustrated in The Leshantang Collection of Chinese Porcelain, Taipei, 2005, pl. 32. The original motif was somewhat simplified as seen for example in the rendering of the curling tendrils at the neck, which in the Qianlong original depict confronting chilong.

Other variations of this design are seen on a pear-shaped vase with Jiaqing mark and of the period sold in these rooms, 27th April 2003, lot 214; and a globular example from the Huaihaitang collection, included in the exhibition Ethereal Elegance. Porcelain Vases of the Imperial Qing, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2007, cat. no. 111, where the author notes that vases of this type are known as shang ping or "bestowal vases" (see p. 320).