A RARE FLAMBÉ-GLAZED MOONFLASK INCISED SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

the spherical body rising from a rectangular splayed foot to a waisted neck, the neck flanked by a pair of ruyi handles, each convex side moulded with a raised peach-shaped panel, unctuously covered overall save for the base with a brilliant rich purple glaze with milky-blue and lavender streaks drizzling down from the neck, thinning to mushroom-beige along the raised edges, the base with a pale yellowish-brown wash covering the incised four-character seal mark

The vase is in overall very good condition, except for some occasional insignificant flakes to the crackled glaze especially to the foot and a few kiln flakes to the inner foot.
"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 flask is notable for its rich ruby-streaked glaze, which imitates Song dynasty Jun wares. This beautiful effect, known as yaobian (‘transmutation glaze’) was much sought after by the Yongzheng Emperor, who commissioned copies of Jun ware from the Imperial workshop in Jingdezhen. The technical ingenuity and high level of experimentation of the potters working at the imperial kiln is evident in the official list from 1732, which records no less than nine varieties of Jun glazes inspired by ancient specimens. The Imperial Kilns supervisor, Tang Ying, further records that potters were sent to Junzhou, Henan province, to investigate the chemical composition of Song dynasty Jun glaze (see the catalogue to the exhibition Harmony and Integrity. The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2009, pp. 227-228).

A closely related Yongzheng moonflask in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Qingdai yuyao ciqi [Qing porcelains from the imperial kilns preserved in the Palace Museum], vol. 1, pt. 2, Beijing, 2005, pl. 137; two were sold in our New York rooms, the first, 12th March 1981, lot 185, and the second, 4th June 1982, lot 231, and later sold at Christie’s New York, 22nd/23rd March 2012, lot 2093; and another was sold at Christie’s Tokyo, 16th/17th February 1980, lot 843.

The shape of this flask appears to have been inspired by early Ming dynasty designs, often decorated in underglaze cobalt, which were themselves based on Islamic metal prototypes. For a discussion on the origins of these shapes see John Alexander Pope, ‘An Early Ming Porcelain in Muslim Style’, in Richard Ettinghausen ed., Aus der Welt der Islamischen Kunst. Festschrift für Ernes Kühnel, Berlin, 1959, pp. 357-75. This form remained popular during the succeeding Qianlong reign, when it was often painted in underglaze blue with peaches; see for example a flask with Qianlong mark and of the period, in the Nanjing Museum, Nanjing, illustrated in The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2004, cat. no. 220.