A FAUX-BOIS BUCKET QING DYNASTY, YONGZHENG PERIOD

the straight, slightly everted sides resting on a low broad footring, naturalistically painted overall in different shades of reddish-brown enamel in imitation of a bucket made from straight wooden slats with a strong grain, held together around the centre and base by hoops of plaited bamboo painted in pale green, the recessed base later drilled with a central hole enabling the bucket to serve as a flower-pot

Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, The British Museum, London, 1994.
Evolution to Perfection. Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection/Evolution vers la perfection. Céramiques de Chine de la Collection Meiyintang, Sporting d’Hiver, Monte Carlo, 1996, cat. no. 198.
China. The Three Emperors 1662-1795, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2005-6, cat. no. 235.

Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 2, no. 947.

The bucket is in overall good condition with only a few minor surface scratches on the outside. A hole has been drilled at the bottom to convert it into a flower-pot, the white porcelain body further applied with a brown wash. There are three faint hairline cracks extending from the hole, the longest approx. 3.5 cm. The actual colour is a little bit darker reddish brown compared 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."

Porcelain simulations of other materials are one of the many inventions of the Jingdezhen potters during the Yongzheng period (AD 1723-35), which became even more popular during the Qianlong reign (AD 1736-95). The immensely increased range of glaze and enamel colours and shades in the early 18th century made it possible to create extremely life-like reproductions of other media. Of course, potters had always copied other materials, but the sophistication of these early Qing works lies not only in their verisimilitude, but moreover in the fact that what was copied were not just more precious materials, as previously, but also more humble ones.

Comparable faux-bois flower pots of Yongzheng mark and period, of similar form but supported on low feet, are in the Palace Museum, Beijing, and in the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, see Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong. Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, pl. 146; and Kokyū Shin shi zuroku. Kōkiyō, Yōseiyō/Illustrated Catalogue of Ch’ing Dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace Museum, Republic of China: K’ang-hsi Ware and Yung-cheng Ware, Tokyo, 1980, pl. 97.