A SKY BLUE-GLAZED 'BATS AND CLOUDS' VASE QING DYNASTY, YONGZHENG PERIOD

of globular form, the generous rounded body rising to a broad waisted neck and a compressed bulb rim with incurved mouth, deftly carved around the exterior with eight bats fluttering among billows of clouds, between a band of petal lappets at the base and a collar of pendent ruyi around the shoulder, the neck collared by upright plantain leaves issuing from a border of key-fret, all below pendent trefoils encircling the mouthrim, skilfully applied overall with a pale sky-blue glaze thinning to white on the carved design and toward the rim, stopping neatly above the ridged footring, the latter left unglazed and dressed in a brown wash, the recessed base glazed sky blue

Collection of Thomas English Cody, US, formed during the 1930's.

The vase is overall in good condition. There is a 3 cm. yellowing glaze crack in the surface glaze on one side that does not go through the body, and a few other minor light surface scratches. The actual colour is slightly more purple than 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."

The present vase is closely related to a peacock-blue glazed vase with a floral design, 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, pl. 149, where on p. 165, it is mentioned that the shape is inspired by archaic bronze zun. The attractive sky-blue glaze on this vase is a Yongzheng period innovation when a number of new shades of blue glazes were developed by using different amounts of finely ground cobalt to create paler and lighter shades. The Yongzheng Emperor was especially fond of monochrome wares, where shapes and colours became important factors in creating an aesthetically pleasing object. 

Interestingly, by the Qianlong period, the shape of this vase was further developed to include a foot and two handles on the neck; see a celadon-glazed example bearing a Qianlong reign mark on the base and the body carved with the design of upright and pendent bands of overlapping lotus petals, with the neck similarly decorated with upright leaves as seen here, sold in our London rooms, 20^th April 1976, lot 117. Another later version of this vase was sold in our New York rooms, 21^st November 1973, lot 477, with a similar globular body and a broad waisted neck ending in a compressed bulb-form rim, painted with birds and bats amid lotus scroll in gold on a blue-ground.