A RARE MOULDED 'LONGQUAN' CELADON RING-HANDLED VASE YUAN DYNASTY

of pear form supported on a slightly splayed foot, moulded around the body with a wide band of scrolling peonies above a border of upright chrysanthemum petals, the waisted neck encircled by a triple fillet interrupted by a pair of elephant-trunk dragon heads suspending ring handles, all below further ridges and a lipped trumpet-shaped mouth, applied overall with a pale sea-green glaze suffused with a fine network of crackles

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 4th/5th November 1997, lot 1389.

There has been retouching and minor restoration to approximately half of one ring handle (illustrated on the left in the catalogue photo). There is a minor scale chip to the bottom left side. with a corresponding shallow crack at the foot. The surface glaze appears to have been lightly polished overall.
"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."

Vases of this type with elephant-trunk dragon heads suspending ring handles are rare. Only two other closely related examples appear to have been published, one in the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, illustrated in Celadons from Longquan Kilns, Taipei, 1998, pl. 156, and another is in the National Museum of Korea, published in Ye Peilan, Yuandai ciqi [Yuan dynasty porcelain], Beijing, 1998, pl. 454. The blueish-tinged glaze on the present example is particularly successful.