A RARE BLUE AND WHITE 'FLORAL' VASE MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

the tall ovoid body supported on a low foot rising to a waisted neck, well painted with four floral blooms evenly arranged on a wide band of meandering leafy scrolls above a ruyi-head border at the foot, the shoulders with pendent scrolls with ruyi motifs interspersed with florettes, all painted in simulated 'heaping and piling' effect, the base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark within a double-circle

Christie’s London, 6th November 2012, lot 278.

The vase is in very 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. 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."

Exquisitely decorated with a floral scroll between two bands of ruyi encircling the neck and foot, the design of this vase is a reinterpretation of an early Ming motif that was commonly employed on vases of all forms. The Qing craftsman has simplified the design by broadening the areas of white between the decorative bands, resulting in the creation of a contemporary piece that is steeped in tradition, in accordance with the Yongzheng Emperor’s taste. This reference to the past is also seen in the application of cobalt, which has been deliberately painted to imitate the ‘heaping and piling’ characteristic of Yongle and Xuande underglaze-blue porcelain.

A closely related vase, from the T.Y. Chao collection and included in the exhibition Ming and Ch’ing Porcelain from the Collection of the T.Y. Chao Family Foundation, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1978, cat. no. 84, was sold in these rooms, 19th May 1987, lot 275, and again at Christie’s Hong Kong, 1st October 1991, lot 831. For the prototype to this design, compare a small Xuande mark and period jar, of tapered ovoid form and painted with a floral scroll between ruyi trefoils around the shoulder and foot, sold in these rooms, 1st May 2001, lot 508; and an ovoid jar decorated with a lotus scroll between stiff leaves, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Museum’s exhibition Ming Xuande ciqi tezhan mulu [Special exhibition of Hsuan-te wares], 1980, cat. no. 2.