A 'ROBIN'S-EGG' GLAZED LANTERN VASE SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG |

the ovoid body supported on a straight foot and rising to a short waisted neck, applied with two flat vase-shaped mock handles, brightly covered with an opaque turquoise-blue glaze of robin's-egg type suffused overall with a finely mottled dark purplish blue, the base incised with a six-character reign mark all beneath the glaze, the unglazed foot dressed in a dark brown wash, wood stand

The vase is good overall condition with just expected wear and a minute glaze flake to the rim. The footring has been dressed in black.
"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 so-called 'lantern' shape, with its unusual vase-shaped flanges on either side, originated in the Yongzheng period, when it was made with guan-type and ge-type glazes, but in the Qianlong period it became a characteristic form for the robin's-egg glaze; compare two Yongzheng examples in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Geng Baochang, ed., Gugong Bowuyuan cang Qingdai yuyao ciqi [Qing porcelains from the Imperial kilns preserved in the Palace Museum], Beijing, 2005, pls. 174 and 206.  Compare also a similar vase sold in these rooms, 4th April 2012, lot 6, from the Meiyintang collection.