A PARCEL-GILT AND LACQUER DECORATED ZUN-FORM 'BUTTERFLY' VASE 17TH / 18TH CENTURY

the bulbous body supported on a flaring foot and surmounted by a trumpet neck, each section decorated in relief with butterflies, bees, wasps and scattered blossoms, accented with gilt, the wings of the butterflies cold worked with decorative patterns and highlighted with lacquer, all between wide gilt borders

Private West Virginia collection.

There is wear to the gilding, light wear to the lacquer, and some minor knocks. There are small scattered patches of oxidation, most noticeable in the interior. Overall the piece appears to be in good 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.

Butterflies have been a popular motif in Chinese art from the 17th century onwards, not only because of their bright colors and intricate wing patterns, but also because of their Daoist allusions to joy and freedom, and the fact that the Chinese word for butterfly, die, is a homophone for the word meaning a lifespan of seventy or eighty years.

A bronze vase of similar shape and design, but with silver inlay instead of lacquer, dated from the late 16th to early 17th century, from the Robert H. Clague Collection, is illustrated in Robert D. Mowry, China's Renaissance in Bronze, Phoenix Art Museum, 1993, cat. no. 30.