A RARE 'LANGYAO' RED-GLAZED VASE QING DYNASTY, KANGXI PERIOD

the baluster body elegantly rising from a spreading foot to a tall waisted neck and flared rim, the base of the neck collared with a protruding rib, the exterior covered in a lustrous rich red glaze of crushed raspberry tone, the glaze evenly suffused with a network of fine crackle throughout, the interior and recessed base covered with a crackled glaze with a faint bluish tint, wood stand

Purchased in Paris, 1990s.

The overall condition is very good, except for a firing crack across the base. There is also a small flake to the pooling glaze right above the foot, in addition to some minor firing imperfections, including small glaze gaps, tiny trapped and burst air bubbles (especially to the neck). The actual colour is slightly richer 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."

This large vase is notable for its unusual baluster form with swelling shoulders and tall flaring neck. Although no other closely related copper-red glazed vase appears to have been published, a line drawing of a similarly modelled vase is illustrated in the exhibition catalogue Ethereal Elegance. Porcelain Vases of the Imperial Qing. The Huaihaitang Collection, Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2007, p. 398, fig. XI, no. Y, 4, where it is grouped together with yaoling zun vases, fig. XI, no. K, 3. Also known as sang-de-boef (‘oxblood’) for its intense red colour, the langyao glaze was developed under Lang Tingji (1663-1715), supervisor of the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen during the Kangxi period, who is renowned not only for creating innovative glaze recipes, but also for applying them on a new repertoire of vase shapes, such as the current example.

See smaller vases of related form, such as a Kangxi mark and period clair-de-lune glazed vase illustrated in Jan Wirgin, Chinese Ceramics from the Alex and Nora Lundgren Bequest, Stockholm, 1978, pl. 70; a copper-red and blue glazed example, illustrated in George J. Lee, Selected Far Eastern Art in the Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, 1970, pl. 361; and another example sold in these rooms, 26th October 1993, lot 323.