A FINE BLUE AND WHITE LOBED 'MELON' JARLET MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG |

with six rounded lobes rising to a constricted neck and flared rim, each lobe delicately painted in shaded tones of blue with trailing vines of fruiting melon amongst leaves and tendrils, all between double-line borders encircling the neck and foot, the countersunk base inscribed with a six-character reign mark, wood stand

The jarlet is in very good condition except for an insignificant glaze flake to the rim.
"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 charming jarlet is a fine example of porcelain that has been inspired by celebrated early Ming designs but reinterpreted on a different form and miniature scale. The motif of clusters of melons on curling vines is taken from palace bowls of the Chenghua period (r. 1465-87). Chenghua designs are remarkable for their idiosyncratic painting style that differs from the creations of the imperial kilns in most other reigns by being slightly unpredictable and capricious. Like its predecessor, the present jarlet presents differently composed clusters of vines that each are so harmonious that they initially appear to follow the same pattern. The combination of washes of cobalt with delicate yet confident outlines also stems from its Chenghua predecessor. A closely related jarlet from the Wang Xing Lou collection was included in the exhibition Imperial Perfection. The Palace Porcelain of Three Chinese Emperors, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, 2004, cat. no. 12; another was sold twice in these rooms, 20th May 1986, lot 55, and 8th October 2008, lot 2558; and a third was sold at Christie’s New York, 13th/14th September 2012, lot 1460.

For a Chenghua ‘melon palace bowl’ prototype, see one from the collection of Sir Percival David and now in the British Museum, London, illustrated in Regina Krahl and Jessica Harrison-Hall, Chinese Ceramics. Highlights from the Sir Percival David Collection, London, 2009, cat. no. 36; and another reconstructed from sherds recovered from the waste heaps of the Ming imperial kiln site at Jingdezhen, included in the exhibition A Legacy of Chenghua. Imperial Porcelain of the Chenghua Reign Excavated from Zhushan, Jingdezhen, Tsui Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1993, cat. no. C 82.