AN EXTREMELY RARE 'FAMILLE-ROSE' BALUSTER VASE MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

finely potted with elegant curves, resting on a splayed foot and tapering gracefully to a trumpet mouth, the very white porcelain superbly painted with a circular panel depicting Hanshan holding a scroll with a yin-yang symbol, with a double-gourd by his side, wearing loosely draped robes falling in undulous folds over his corpulent body, his head bald save for tufts of hair around his ears with a broad smiling face, the reverse with a medallion of lingzhi fungus and bamboo sprigs, the lingzhi delicately shaded in layered tones of purple, pink, pale blue and yellow, the base inscribed with the six-character mark within a double circle  

Collection of Marquis.
Collection of A. de la Narde.
Collection of Charles Russell.
Sotheby's London, 25th June 1946, lot 78.
Collection of Robert C. Bruce.
Sotheby's London, 12th May 1953, lot 142.
Christie's Hong Kong, 23rd March 1993, lot 756.

 

Enamelled Polychrome Porcelain of the Manchu Dynasty, Oriental Ceramic Society, London, 1951, cat.no. 185.

Soame Jenyns, Later Chinese Porcelain, London, 1951, pl. XLIX.

There are expected surface scratches and minor wear to the lingzhi medallion, and three small losses to the bamboo, the largest approx 0.3 by 0.1cm. To the other side, there is a tiny glaze flake to the scroll, of approx 0.1 by 0.1cm. Otherwise the vase is generally in very good condition overall, and has been well preserved.
"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."

The present vase appears to be unique for its decoration and elegant form, and no other similar example appears to be recorded. The design of the poet-monk Hanshan holding a scroll with an yin-yang symbol and a lingzhi and bamboo medallion on the reverse reflect the Yongzheng emperor's affiliation with Daoism. Hanshan, an official during the Tang dynasty, became a monk after abandoning the world of the court to live in poverty. He retreated to live as a hermit on Cold Mountain (Han Shan). He wrote poems that reflected his religious and spiritual quest influenced by Daoism. He is usually depicted with a wide grin on his face symbolizing his kindred spirit.  The Yongzheng emperor designated Hanshan together with Hanshan's friend, the monk-poet Shide, as the saints of harmony and unity. The lingzhi  fungus is the symbol of longevity, while the bamboo symbolizes peace.

The form of this vase can also be found with a slightly taller neck, see a white-glazed vase incised with a pattern of bats amidst clouds above a band of ruyi heads encricling the base, from the Bernat and Scheinman collections, sold at Christie's New York, 23rd March 1995, lot 122.