AN EXTREMELY RARE SMALL DOUCAI VASE SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

the elegantly proportioned compressed globular body sweeping up to a slender neck and slightly flared mouth, the body painted with six ruyi head panels outlined in underglaze blue, each enclosing a stylised lotus flowerhead, alternating in iron-red and white, further linked by acanthus leaves, the neck collared with stylised pendant lappets reserved on a pale celadon-green enamel ground all below further lappets containing flower heads,  all supported on a short foot skirted by a wave pattern, the details picked-out in gilt, the base inscribed with a six-character reign mark in underglaze-blue

A French Collection, by repute.

The overall condition is quite good with a short 1cm hairline crack to the rim of the mouth and some light wear to the gilding but not the enamels.
"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 Qianlong emperor's preference for auspicious and novel designs is evident in the imperial wares of his reign, which frequently combined elements of various traditional motifs and formal elements to form innovative designs. The present vase is a good example of such originality, which presents the traditional ruyi, lotus flowers and lappets with Western acanthus leaves below the rim. The uniqueness of this piece is further enhanced by the incorporation of a celadon ground neck, and no other related vase appears to have been published.

Compare a pear-shape doucai vase in the form of a hu with tubular handles, decorated on either side with a similar central motif of a lotus flower framed by a ruyi that is also picked out in gilt and surrounded by curling acanthus leaves, illustrated in Yeh Pei-Lang, Gems of the Doucai, Taipei, 1993, pl. 117. For a blue and white vase of elongated ovoid form, with Qianlong reign mark and of the period, decorated with ruyi panels enclosing a lotus blossom alternating with floral decorations, see one in the Huaihaitang Collection, included in the exhibition Ethereal Elegance. Porcelain Vases of the Imperial Qing, Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2007, cat. no. 108.

The acanthus leaf, thought to represent longevity and from one of the oldest flowers in the Mediterranean region, became a popular motif for decoration from the Ming period (1368-1644), which was carried throughout the Qing dynasty.