A BLUE AND WHITE MING-STYLE BOTTLE VASE QIANLONG SEAL MARK AND PERIOD |

the globular body rising from a splayed foot to a tall waisted neck, molded around the stepped shoulder and the body with raised fillets, finely painted in 'heaped and piled' deep blue tones with a composite flower scroll band, all between lotus-lappet and classic scroll bands at the foot and a ruyi band at the shoulder, the neck with stiff leaf and keyfret bands below a wave band at the rim, the recessed base with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue

Littleton & Hennessy Asian Art, Ltd., London, 2005.

In good condition aside from very light expected wear, particularly to the horizontal rib around the widest part of the body. The keyfret band at the lower neck has been sprayed all around, presumably to conceal minor glaze flaws.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Elegantly decorated with early-Ming inspired motifs, the craftsman of this vase has also successfully simulated the distinctive mottled ‘heaping and piling’ effect of the celebrated 15th century blue and white wares through a deliberate application of darker and thicker spots of cobalt on the design. Beginning with the Yongzheng emperor, successive rulers revisited this famous blue and white pattern. Qianlong period examples include a closely related example in the Nanjing Museum, illustrated in Treasures of the Royalty: The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, p. 233; one in the Shanghai Museum is published in Zhongguo taoci quanji, vol. 15, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 2; and four vases are illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, vol. III, London, 1996, pl. 2564, one with an elaborate 19th century Ottoman gilt-metal cover. Another vase of this type, from the Toguri Collection, was sold in these rooms, 9th June 2004, lot 5; another was sold in our London rooms, 10th November 2010, lot 102A; and a third vase was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 3rd December 2015, lot 426.