A LARGE GUAN-TYPE VASE, HU SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

well potted, the rounded sides rising steeply from a slightly splayed foot to an angular shoulder, sweeping up to a waisted neck and a flared rim, set with two tubular lug handles above a raised fillet, applied overall with an unctuous caesious-coloured glaze suffused with a network of fine crackles and thinning to grey around the edges of the handles, save for the footring left unglazed and dressed in a brown wash in imitation of the Song dynasty Guan ware, the interior and the base glazed, the latter inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character seal mark

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 1st May 2001, lot 525.

The vase is in overall very good condition. There is a 2 cm original firing crack to the interior corresponding to a dimple in the body on the exterior. Some of the crackles may have been cleaned and filled in with wax. 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."

This elegant vase embodies two celebrated traditions of Chinese craftsmanship in its robust form which is softened through its luminous bluish glaze. In its form it has been inspired by the archaic bronze ritual vessel, hu, while its glaze is closely modelled on the prized Ru ware of the Song dynasty. The crackled wares of guan, Ge and Ru of the Song period were highly regarded by the Qianlong Emperor who not only collected them but also commissioned the making of new porcelain with similar glaze from the imperial kilns for his appreciation. The present vase is an outstanding example of the high quality of such wares produced in the Imperial kilns at Jingdezhen during his reign.

A closely related vase was sold in our New York rooms, 17^th September 1998, lot 235; another was sold in these rooms, 29^th November 1977, lot 121, and again in our London rooms, 17^th December 1996, lot 139; and a third was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 31^st May 2010, lot 2010. Compare a Qianlong vase of this form but covered in a Ge-type glaze, sold at Christie’s New York, 21^st September 2004, lot 315; and a vase of similar form but without handles, sold in our London rooms, 13^th May 2009, lot 214. Blue and white decorated vases of this form are also known, such as one of slightly smaller size, sold in these rooms, 16^th May 1977, lot 90, and included in the exhibition The Wonders of the Potter’s Palette. Qing Ceramics from the Collection of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1984, cat. no. 63; and another sold in these rooms, 8^th April 2009, lot 1604.