of hexagonal form with gently flared walls, the slightly concave sides with indented corners rising at an angle from a recessed foot of conforming section, all supported on a pierced trompe-l'oeil integral base with a stepped curved apron and six ruyi feet joined by a hexagonal stretcher, the latter attached to the pot and glazed in contrasting tone resembling a separate carved stand, the pot applied overall with a warm lavender glaze thinning to white along the angles and rim, the stand covered in a powder-blue glaze picked out with darker brown edges, the base left white under a transparent glaze and incised with a six-character seal mark
There are two original bracket-shaped apertures on the interior of the pot for drainage. There are two shallow flakes (0.6 and 1 cm.) to the underside of the apron of the base. There is a radiant crack to the interior of the pot running around the bottom on approx. 2/3 or the circumference. There is a vertical body line under the glaze on one interior wall, another horizontal of approx. 4 cm on the opposite wall on the interior, three others smaller body lines under the glaze on the interior and a polished burst air bubble. Otherwise the flower pot is in overall quite good condition. The actual colour of the lavender glaze is slightly lighter compared to the catalogue illustration.
"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 piece is notable for its elegant hexagonal form and the porcelain stand on which the flowerpot rests. The stand is glazed in a rich colour several tones darker to perfectly accentuate the soft hues of the pot, and is an elegant rendition of a stretcher that would more commonly have been crafted from wood. The shape and colour of this flowerpot is inspired by Jun prototypes of the Song dynasty; for example compare a smaller vessel inscribed with the Chinese character ‘eight’ on the base, in the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, published in
The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (I), Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 22; one sold in our London rooms, 9
th November 2011, lot 365; and another included in the Japan Society
Exhibition of Japanese, Corean, Chinese Pottery, Knoedler Galleries, New York, 1914, cat. no. 295, sold at Christie’s New York, 23
rd June 1982, lot 51.
Yongzheng period jardinières can be found in various shapes and glazes; see a deep rounded example with an everted rim covered in a Jun-type glaze and bearing an incised four-character mark on the base, included in the Min Chiu Society exhibition Monochrome Ceramics of Ming and Ch’ing Dynasties, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1977, cat. no. 27; a lazurite-blue glaze jardinière with a six-character reign mark, illustrated in the Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 197; and a third covered in a clair-de-lune glaze, sold in our London rooms, 7th November 2012, lot 271. A robin’s-egg glazed rectangular jardinière bearing a four-character Yongzheng reign mark was sold in these rooms, 11th April 2008, lot 2816; and a shallow circular sky-blue glazed example raised on a dark aubergine stand is published in Kangxi. Yongzheng. Qianlong. Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, pl. 97.
