A FINE PAIR OF BLUE AND WHITE 'LINGZHI' OCTAGONAL JARS MARKS AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

of ovoid form and octagonal section, rising from a shallow recessed base to a short waisted neck and lipped rim, each facetted side painted in shaded tones of cobalt with upright lingzhi stems growing beside bamboo sprays and extending onto the shoulder, all sprouting from a double-line border encircling the foot, the neck picked out with detached florets between line borders, the base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six character reign mark

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 29th April 1997, lot 618.

Both vases are in overall very good condition.
"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."

A closely related jarlet, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Gugong Bowuyuan cang Qingdai yuyao ciqi [Porcelain from the Qing dynasty imperial kilns in the Palace Museum], vol. 1, pt. II, Beijing, 2005, pl. 26; another is published in Sun Qi, Minjian liusan wenwu jianding [Connoisseurship of scattered cultural relics], Beijing, 1993, p. 96 (centre left); and three were sold in these rooms, a pair, 2^nd May 2000, lot 671, and a single jarlet, 23^rd October 2005, lot 346.

For the Ming inspiration of this design see an early fifteenth century lobed jarlet with floral decoration, from the Enid and Brodie Lodge collection, illustrated in William Bowyer Honey, The Ceramic Art of China and Other Countries of the Far East, London, 1944, pl. 87.