A FINE AND RARE TURQUOISE-GLAZED BOTTLE VASE INCISED SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

THIS IS A PREMIUM LOT. CLIENTS WHO WISH TO BID ON PREMIUM LOTS MAY BE REQUESTED BY SOTHEBY'S TO COMPLETE THE PRE-REGISTRATION APPLICATION FORM AND TO DELIVER TO SOTHEBY'S A DEPOSIT OF HK$2,500,000, OR SUCH OTHER HIGHER AMOUNT AS MAY BE DETERMINED BY SOTHEBY'S, AND ANY FINANCIAL REFERENCES, GUARANTEES AND/OR SUCH OTHER SECURITY AS SOTHEBY'S MAY REQUIRE IN ITS ABSOLUTE DISCRETION AS SECURITY FOR THE BID. THE BIDnow ONLINE BIDDING SERVICE IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR PREMIUM LOTS.

 



of ovoid form, beautifully potted with swelling rounded sides rising from a gently splayed foot to a cylindrical neck, applied overall with a brilliant turquoise glaze suffused with minute crackling and pooling delicately above the white footring to form a band of darker tone, the base similarly glazed and incised with a six-character seal mark

Frederick J. and Antoinette H. Van Slyke Collection.
Sotheby's New York, 31st May 1989, lot 156.
The Robert Chang Collection.
Christie's Hong Kong, 31st October 2000, lot 822.

An Exhibition of Important Chinese Ceramics from the Robert Chang Collection, Christie’s London, 2nd-14th June 1993, cat. no. 47.

The vase is in extremely good condition. The actual colour is quite close to the catalogue illustration.
"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."

It is rare to find Qianlong mark and period wares covered in this brilliant turquoise glaze, although a bottle vase of more compressed globular shape with a similar six-character Qianlong seal mark on the base is illustrated in Chinese Porcelain. The S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, Part I, Hong Kong, 1987, pl. 153; a baluster form vase attributed to the Qianlong period is illustrated in S.W. Bushell, Oriental Ceramics Art – Illustrated by Examples form the Collection of W.T. Walters, New York, 1980, p. 47, fig. 76; and another large vase belonging to this group was sold at Christie’s New York, 19^thSeptember 2006, lot 371.

Compare another  Qianlong vase of this beautiful glaze but delicately incised with a dragon decoration, formerly in the collection of William Duport III and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, sold in our New York rooms, 17^th October 1974, lot 560, again, 20^th September 2000, lot 122, and for the third time at Christie’s Hong Kong, 29^th April 2002, lot 571.

Amongst monochromes, turquoise is probably the rarest glaze colour to be found on marked imperial wares. Earliest Qing examples are known from Kangxi period porcelain, such as a number of pieces, from the Qing court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1999, pls. 146-148, together with a Yongzheng period zun form vessel and a melon-shaped jar, pls. 149-150, and a hu shaped vase with two elephant head handles, attributed to the Qianlong period, pl. 151, all covered in turquoise glaze. See also a Yongzheng gang jar illustrated in Julian Thompson, The Alan Chuang Collection of Chinese Porcelain, Hong Kong, 2009, p. 218, pl. 91, where the author notes that the turquoise 'glaze is found more frequently on non-imperial wares, made either for the home market or for export to Europe. These were particularly appreciated in France, where they were often mounted on ormolu.’