A RARE BLUE AND WHITE 'THREE FRIENDS' JAR MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

finely potted, the ovoid body with rounded tapered sides rising from a recessed base to a short neck, delicately painted in shaded tones of underglaze blue with a large lofty pine, a blossoming prunus and tall arching shoots of bamboo, symbolising the 'Three Friends of Winter', issuing from two pointed rocks on a grassy patch next to an attendant sprig of lingzhi, the rim picked out with a foliate band enclosed in double-line borders, the recessed base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark within double circles   

There is an approx 2 cm. restored flake on the rim with respray on the outside of the rim and touch up to the double line border. The rim also has several small areas which has been retouched, probably to conceal some fritting. There is a pin-prick air bubble to one side and a couple of very minor specks in the glaze.
"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."

Although jarlets of similar form and decoration are known, larger examples such as the present piece are rare; compare a small jarlet included in the Hong Kong Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Chinese Blue and White Porcelain, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1975, cat. no. 108; and another sold twice in these rooms, 14^th November 1989, lot 85, and again, 4^th April 2012, lot 3235.

The ‘Three Friends of Winter’, comprised of the evergreens-bamboo and pine and the winter-flowering prunus that bears blossoms before sprouting leaves, were a popular subject for Chinese works of art and symbolise endurance in adverse conditions. The motif was popularised on blue and white porcelain from the early Ming period, appearing as branches adorning dishes and bowls; for example see a dish attributed to the Yongle period, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Gugong bowuguan cang Ming chu qinghua ci [Early Ming blue and white porcelain in the Palace Museum], vol. 2, Beijing, 2002, pl. 130.