A MASSIVE RUBY-GROUND FAMILLE-ROSE 'HUNDRED BOYS' VASE QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG / JIAQING PERIOD

the ovoid body supported on a flared foot, set with a tall waisted neck flanked by a pair of kui-dragon handles, the exterior finely painted with two panels of boys at play in a garden with groups doing a lion and dragon dance on each side, each panel enclosed by flying bats linked with clambering chilong picked out in blue enamel, surrounded by beribboned bajixiang and treasures amongst foliate floral sprays on a ruby-red feathery sgraffiato ground, the trumpet neck centred with two chimes, each suspending an endless knot and a double-fish, similarly amidst floral sprays between two bands of pendent ruyi-heads, the interior glazed turquoise, the base unglazed

A 23 cm section of the mouthrim has been restored and retouched with four restuck pieces and there is an associated hairline of about 9.5 cm. There is a 24 cm hairline to the other side of the rim adjacent to a 7 cm area which has been covered over with paint, possibly to conceal another hairline. The interior has been covered with paint. There is a fine but long vertical hairline crack running from the middle of the neck to above the foot. Part of one handle has been restuck and retouched with paint. The enamels otherwise have been well preserved with only some surface scratches, minor stains and small retouched areas.
"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."

This vase is impressive for its rich and sumptuous decoration that successfully fuses a combination of motifs over a large surface. The meticulous preparation that was invested into the overall composition is evident; from the dramatic shape of the flared neck that is mirrored in the body, to the exquisitely bordered panels, and the clever use of blue enamel that is purposefully employed to draw the eye from the mouth down the handles to the body and foot before leading it back to the body. Furthermore the laborious sgraffiatotechnique employed on the ruby ground on a vessel of this large size is rare and serves to heighten the extravagance of the vase.

Only one other vase of this type, but with quatrefoil cartouches enclosing scenes of birds and flowers on either side of the body and flanked with gilt-painted dragon handles, with a Qianlong reign mark in iron red and of the period, appears to be known, illustrated in Sotheby's Thirty Years in Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2003, pl. 346, sold lately at Christie's Hong Kong, 1^st November 2004, lot 870. Compare a vessel of related form, decorated with four alternating barbed panels of inscription and flowers on a peach scroll-decorated yellow ground, with an iron red Jiaqing reign mark and of the period, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelains with Cloisonné Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 169 .

The depiction of 'a hundred boys at play', representing the wish for many sons, was a popular theme in the decorative arts of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The 'hundred boys' refers to King Wen of the Zhou dynasty who had ninety-nine sons and adopted one more to make one hundred. In the present vase, each of the boys are engaged in activities potent with symbolism: the first character of 'lantern' is a pun for 'bumper harvest' (fengdeng), which equates with peace, while the boys carrying lanterns in the shape of a fish (yu) is a pun for 'abundance'. Furthermore, the motif of a boy carrying a lotus leaf dates back to the Song dynasty in which boys carried lotus leaves in procession in the festival in the seventh month, and the boys carrying osmanthus branches coupled with the flowering cymbidium trees growing from amongst the rocks stand for distinguished sons and grandsons (guizi lansun).