AN IMPORTANT AND RARE RELIEF-CARVED WHITE-GLAZED 'LOTUS' VASE QIANLONG SEAL MARK AND PERIOD

the pear-shaped body rising from a spreading foot to a tall waisted neck and flaring rim, delicately carved in relief with large lotus blooms borne on meandering scrolling stems, the petals and leaves delicately incised and all covered in a milky-white glaze, the base with an impressed six-character seal mark

Sotheby's London, 10th December 1991, lot 280.
Collection of Robert Chang.
Christie's Hong Kong, 2nd November 1999, lot 528.

An Exhibition of Important Chinese Ceramics from the Robert Chang Collection, Christie’s London, 2nd-14th June 1993, cat. no. 45.

This very rare vase has three cracks from firing imperfections to the footring (circa 6, 7 and 11cm.) with associated light glaze crackle extending circa 6-7cm., up the body, and a circa 7cm., glaze hairline to the base, otherwise 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."

Brimming with elegance in form and design, the present vase is a rare and outstanding example of relief-carved porcelain of the Qianlong period. Coated in a rich milky-white glaze, it belongs to a special group of wares known as ‘fang Ding yao’, or ‘in imitation of Ding Ware’, that drew inspiration from the celebrated official Ding wares of the Song dynasty (960-1279). This vase is particularly attractive for its striking lotus flower design which endows it with a strong three-dimensional quality. Furthermore, the lotus blooms and foliate scroll are finished with finely incised details, thus presenting the viewer with another layer of enjoyment upon closer inspection.

 

During the Qing dynasty, three types of white wares are recorded to have been produced: the traditional high-fired wares with a transparent glaze, first created during the Yongle reign of the Ming dynasty, which formed the majority of white wares; soft-paste type wares which were characterised by a yellowish-ivory tinge; and Ding-type wares, which were fired at a higher temperature than the original (see the catalogue to the exhibition Qing Imperial Monochromes. The Zande Lou Collection, Hong Kong, 2005, p. 82). According to the archival records, while some Ding-type wares produced duplicated the colour, form and size of certain Ding wares of the Song dynasty, others only borrowed aspects of their predecessors (ibid, p. 80).

 

In creating these Ding-type wares, huashi replaced kaolin, allowing the vessel to be fired at a lower temperature to avoid warping of the material and to create a white glaze that could be used for both contemporary designs as well as making objects imitating Ding wares. Its slightly thicker and milky consistency heightens the sculptural effect of the vessel, as evident on this piece.

 

Vases belonging to this group were produced in various forms and designs; one of baluster form, also with an impressed Qianlong sealmark and of the period, modelled with four handles at the shoulders and decorated with a flower scroll, is published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 239; and a pomegranate-form vase carved with a scrolling lotus and bat design, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, was included in the Museum's exhibition Qingdai danse you ciqi tezhan [Special exhibition of monochrome glazed porcelain of the Qing dynasty], Taipei, 1981, cat. no. 64. Further vases, but with incised marks, include a baluster vase with two deer head-shaped handles and carved on the body with cranes amongst clouds, from the collection of Dr Joseph and Donna Lee Boggs, sold in our London rooms, 7th November 2012, lot 110; another, depicting a lotus pond with egrets, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28^th November 2012, lot 2129; an archaistic hu vase carved with two confronting phoenixes, included in the exhibition Monochrome Ceramics of Ming and Ch’ing Dynasties, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1977, cat. no. 141; and a bottle vase decorated in relief with a dragon among clouds, offered in our Hong Kong rooms, 3^rd October 2017, lot 3603. Compare also a bottle vase decorated with a lotus pond motif, from the collections of L. Allen Lewis, J. Pierpont Morgan and Marsten J. Perry, sold at Christie’s London, 24th and 25th June 1974, lot 108, and again, 11th June 1990, lot 217; and a meiping, richly decorated in high relief with bats, peaches and shou characters, from the collection of Edward T. Chow, sold in these rooms, 19th May 1981, lot 518, and again, 11th April 2008, lot 2507.

 

The lotus design is rich in auspicious symbolism and reflects the Qianlong Emperor’s strong support of Buddhism. Known in Chinese as hehua or lianhua, the lotus represents qualities associated with Buddhism such as purity and perfection, as the flower rises undefiled from impure muddy waters. It also embodies harmony, summer, longevity, nobility, elegance, curative powers and, when depicted together with buds, marriage and fertility. The eight petals of lotus flowers represent the Eightfold Path of Buddha’s teachings, and Guanyin is often depicted holding a lotus flower with a vase to form the rebus ‘peace’. The choice of white glaze for this has clearly been carefully selected as the colour is associated with the spiritual world and thus divinity and immortals.