A FAMILLE-ROSE TURQUOISE-GROUND LANTERN VASE AND COVER SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF JIAQING |

the cylindrical ovoid body vividly decorated with a continuous foliate scroll bearing elaborate flowerheads suspending tasselled endless knots, beneath gilt stylised shou characters, alternating with iron-red flying bats suspending tasselled musical stones, qing, above stylised lotus blooms, all against a soft turquoise ground, between bands of ruyi heads and lappets, all below a border of upright lappets and florets at the neck and above a band of blue aster blossoms and pink scrollwork, the cover similarly decorated surmounted by a bud-shape finial, the interior of the vase and cover enamelled turquoise within gilt edges, the base inscribed with an iron-red six-character seal mark

An English private collection.

Qing Porcelain from Private Collections, Marchant, London, 2015, cat. no. 41 and front cover.

There is an approx. 0.8 cm enamel flake to the cover and wear to a small area of the turquoise enamel on the inner cover. Otherwise the vase and cover are in 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."

Finely painted with a luxurious scrolling flower motif interspersed with auspicious symbols, this vase is particularly rare for its structured form and design and no other closely related example appears to have been published. The feathery petals of the central lotus blooms are particularly exquisitely painted, while the turquoise ground provides the negative space with the same level of luxury as that of the decoration. A vase and cover of this form, but of smaller size, decorated in a similar style on a yellow ground, was sold in these rooms, 8th October 2013, lot 3257; and another but lacking the cover and flanked with ruyi handles, ornately painted with kui dragons framing a central lotus against a green ground, with similar lappets above the foot and on the neck, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, is published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelains with Cloisonne Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 173.

A lime-green ground vase and cover of this type, but of slightly more slender form, also decorated with a central lotus between a shou character and endless knot, with Jiaqing mark and of the period, was sold in these rooms, 8th April 2014, lot 3055.

This vase combines two classic rebuses: the bat (fu) supporting the music stone (qing) together form fuqing ('happiness and good fortune'), while the endless knot (panchang) and shou character form the rebus changshou ('may you have a very long life').