AN OVOID DOUCAI 'LOTUS AND CHRYSANTHEMUM' JAR AND COVER SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

finely potted with an ovoid body sweeping up to a broad rounded shoulder, the exterior finely painted with eight medallions interspersed with eight lotus blossoms borne on curling tendrils, each medallion enclosing two yellow and iron-red chrysanthemum blooms, all between two bands of ruyi-heads bordering the neck and the foot, the base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character seal mark, the flat-topped cover similarly decorated with a chrysanthemum medallion within a double-line border near the edge, the sides with four detached lotus scrolls

The overall condition is very good with only a small polished burst air bubble to the top of the cover that has been buffed. The yellow enamels have some typical stained crackles. There are also some minor surface scratches, in addition to some minute trapped and burst air bubbles.
"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."

This type of doucai chrysanthemum jar is believed to be modelled after Chenghua prototypes. No exact Chenghua original appears to be recorded, however the design is well-known from Chenghua bowls; see a doucai bowl excavated from the waste heaps of the Ming imperial kilns at Jingdezhen included in the exhibition A Legacy of Chenghua, The Tsui Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1993, cat. no. C119. Compare also a Chenghua jar and cover with a related design in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo meishu quanji. Gongyi meishu bian: Taoci [Complete series on Chinese art. Arts and crafts section: Ceramics], Shanghai, 1988-91, vol. 3, pl. 96.

A pair of similar doucai jars and covers from the Qianlong period is illustrated in Tianjin shi yishu bowuguan cang ci/Porcelains from the Tianjin Municipal Museum, Hong Kong, 1993, pl. 177; another pair is published in Min Shin no Bijutsu [Ming and Qing art], Tokyo, 1982, pl. 170; and a single jar and cover is in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in Catalogue of Ch'ing Dynasty Porcelain, vol. 2, Tokyo, 1981, pl. 24.