A TEADUST-GLAZED 'DOUBLE-GOURD' VASE INCISED SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

well potted with a globular lower bulb rising to a fluted waist cinched with a raised ring, below a pear-shaped upper bulb tapering to a slender neck, flanked by a pair of 'S'-shaped handles joining the two bulbs, terminating in moulded trefoils, covered in an opaque mottled olive-green glaze, the foot covered in a brown wash and the base incised with a six-character reign mark

Hirano Kotoken, Osaka.

The overall condition is very good except for a 3 mm original potting flaw to the lower bulb.
"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 teadust glaze was one of the innovations of the Yongzheng period, when many ancient ceramic techniques were revived. Similar glazes had been produced by various kilns of northern China during the Tang dynasty (618-907).

A closely related example is published in the Illustrated Catalogue of Ch'ing Dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace Museum, vol. I, Tokyo, 1980, pl. 80; one included in the Illustrated Catalogue of Tokyo National Museum. Chinese Ceramics, vol. II, Tokyo, 1990, pl. 701; another illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 2, London, 1994, pl. 938; and a fourth example in the Nanjing Museum, published in The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, p. 349.

See also a vase of this type from the British Rail Pension Fund, sold in these rooms, 16^th May 1989, lot 55; one sold in our New York rooms, 20^th March 2007, lot 817; and a third example sold in these rooms, 10^th April 2006, lot 1619.