IMPORTANTE GOURDE EN PORCELAINE BLEU BLANC MARQUE ET ÉPOQUE QIANLONG |

la panse circulaire reposant sur un haut pied évasé et surmontée d'un col tubulaire agrémenté de deux anses mouvementées, à décor d'un médaillon central en relief entouré de huit pétales de lotus peints en bleu cobalt, chacun comprenant un des huit emblèmes bouddhistes, bajixiang, les côtés plats ornés d'une bande centrale peinte d'un enroulement de fleurs de lotus et feuilles, le col et le pied délicatement décorés de lingzhi dans des rinceaux feuillagés, le pourtour de la gourde et le col finement soulignés d'une frise de leiwen, marque à six caractères en cachet en bleu sous couverte à la base

The moonflask is leaning only very slightly to one side. There is a ca. 4 x 6 cm chip to the short side of the foot that has been restored. The lower half of the bulging part in the center of one side has been sprayed, probably to hide a scratch. No break or restoration visible from the inside. There is light wear to the surface, particularly to the mouth rim and to the bulging part of the sides. The underglaze blue is a more vivid and deeper cobalt blue than the catalogue illustration suggests.
"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."

Moonflasks of this design and large size are rare. A challenging shape to fire without leaning to one side, the present flask is almost perfectly straight. Its shape follows an early Ming type which in itself was inspired by middle-eastern metalware. The design of lotus petals radiating from a central rosette adorning either side of the flask is also inspired by more stylised geometric star-shaped medallions centred on a yin-yang symbol, with curved bands and pointed tips vaguely reminiscent of leaves and petals, found on 15th century flasks as exemplified by a blue and white flask from the Ardabil Shrine in the National Museum of Iran, Teheran, published in Oriental Ceramics: The World's Great Collections, Tokyo, New York, and San Francisco, 1980-1982, vol. 4, col. pl. 58. An early 15th century blue and white basin from the Avery Brundage Collection and now in the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, shows even more clearly the influence of early Ming blue and white porcelain designs on blue and white porcelains of the Qianlong period. It is decorated with a closely related design of eight petal panels radiating from a double vajra with each panel containing one of the eight auspicious Buddhist emblems, bajixiang, see Blue and White, Chicago, 1985, cat. no. 28. Similar Ming-style blue and white moonflasks of this large size are known in museums and private collections. Compare an example illustrated in the Illustrated Catalogue of Ch’ing Dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace Museum, vol. II, Tokyo, 1981, cat. no. 5; another Ming-style blue and white moonflask of this type and size from the Edward T. Chow Collection, was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 19th May 1981, lot 544; more recently, a pair of similar moonflasks was sold in our London rooms, 15th May 2010, lot 222, finally, yet another example was sold in our Paris rooms, 16th December 2015, lot 78.