A LARGE GUAN-TYPE RIBBED BOTTLE VASE QING DYNASTY, 19TH CENTURY, QIANLONG SEAL MARK |

robustly potted with a globular body sweeping up to a tall tubular neck flanked by a pair of lug handles, the rounded body gently divided into lobes simulating a gourd, covered overall save for the unglazed footring with a pale greyish-blue glaze suffused with brown crackles, the base inscribed with an apocryphal six-character Qianlong seal mark

The vase is in very good condition.
"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."

The elegant form of this vase is heightened through the matrix of crackles in the luminous glaze which has been made in imitation of guan ware of the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279), one of the celebrated official wares made for the court in the capital, Hangzhou in Zhejiang province.    This vase with its pleasing broad proportions, thick glaze and two-toned crackle effect successfully imitates the 13th century prototype. It is a reinterpretation of an archaic bronze hu form which was first developed by craftsmen working at the Guan kilns. The Song version is closer to its bronze prototype, with its pear-shaped body, long tubular handles and raised horizontal ribs which echo the cast decorative bands; for example see three vases from the Qing court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (II), Hong Kong, 1996, pls 40-42. The Northern Song emperor Huizong (r. 1101-25) was a keen collector of both bronze and jade and commissioned ceramic vessels after bronze pieces in his collection. Interest in archaism remained a strong feature of Chinese connoisseurship in the Qing dynasty, especially from the Qianlong era.

Other Qing dynasty vases with apocryphal marks have been sold at auction, including one bearing a Qianlong mark of the same size and distinctive form, sold at Christie's Paris, 11th June 2014, lot 333, and another with a Yongzheng mark from the Gordon collection, sold at Christie's New York, 24th March 2011, lot 1145.