A rare large Guan-type moon flask, Seal mark and period of Qianlong

Davis Collamore & Co. Ltd., New York.

Christie's New York, 20th September 2013, lot 1346.

Suffused with an attractive matrix of dark crackles and a luminous, bluish-grey glaze that complement the gentle lobed form, this moon flask embodies the Qianlong emperor’s (r.1736-1795) keen interest in celebrated wares of the Song dynasty (960-1279). The subtle glaze has been rendered in imitation of Southern Song dynasty guan ware, which was made for the court in the capital Hangzhou in Zhejiang province. Under his reign, such glazes were created to cover a range of carefully selected forms that were either directly inspired by antiquity or new to the potters’ repertoire, such as the present jardinière.

A closely related Qianlong crackle-glazed moonflask with George IV (1762-1830) silver-gilt mounts was sold in these rooms, 13th July 2005, lot 207, and again in our New York rooms, 30th January 2024, lot 25.