A FINE CELADON-GLAZED JAR AND COVER MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG |

the ovoid body potted with curved sides rising to broad shoulders sweeping up to a short constricted neck, the small cylindrical cover with a flat top and rounded sides, covered overall evenly save for the unglazed footring of the vessel and the rim of the cover in an attractive pale celadon glaze, the countersunk base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark within a double circle

Probably Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 28th November 1978, lot 187.

Both the jar and the cover are in overall good condition with occasional very light scratches.
"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."

Covered in an attractive celadon glaze, the graceful form of this piece represents an archetypal design of the Yongzheng period. Small jars of this shape were used to store tea leaves and are known either with a cylindrical lid that gracefully concealed their short neck and mouth, or with a domed cover. A closely related jar, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is illustrated in the catalogue to the museum’s exhibition The Far-Reaching Fragrance of Tea. The Art and Culture of Tea in Asia, Taipei, 2015, p. 143, fig. 2; a pair was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 20th March 1990, lot 610; two jars lacking the cover were sold in these rooms, the first from the Goldschmidt collection, 13th November 1990, lot 59, and the second, 23rd October 2005, lot 369; and another was sold in our London rooms, 1st/2nd April 1974, lot 267.

Jars of this form are also known painted in underglaze blue, such as two in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included ibid., p. 143, pls 1 and 3.