Page 45 - Sotheby's Imperial Chiense Porcelain Nov 4 2020 London

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PROPERTY FROM AN AUSTRIAN COLLECTION 清雍正 青花纏枝花卉紋荸薺瓶
A VERY RARE BLUE AND WHITE ‘FLORAL’ VASE 《大清雍正年製》款
YONGZHENG MARK AND PERIOD
來源
of compressed globular shape, rising from a splayed foot
and tapering to a tall cylindrical neck, the exterior densely 於19世紀得於中國
painted in varying shades of deep blue with large floral blooms, 上任藏家之祖母於上世紀20年代受贈此瓶，
including lotus, peony and chrysanthemum, each borne 此後家族傳承
on undulating stems bearing lush foliage, all below a frieze
enclosing a foliate scroll encircling the rim, the foot bordered
with a classic scroll band, the base inscribed with a six-
character reign mark within a double-circle
Height 20 cm, 7 ⅞ in.
PROVENANCE
Acquired in China in the late 19th Century.
Gifted to the grandmother of the last owner in the 1920s and
thence in the family by descent.
£ 150,000-250,000

The dense composite floral scroll that covers the surface
of this vase, painted in vibrant and varying shades of deep
blue, clearly takes its inspiration in early Ming blue and white
porcelain of the Xuande period as two early Ming examples in
the Palace Museum, Beijing, demonstrate. Compare a blue and
white moonflask and a tall ewer decorated with similar dense
floral scrolls in deep blue, both published in Geng Baochang,
ed., Gugong Bowuyuan cang Ming chu qinghua ci [Early Ming
blue-and-white porcelain in the Palace Museum], vol. 1, pls. 86
and 92.
Vases of this form and small size, painted with this motif are
very rare. Only one related example, of the same size, form and
design, from the collection of Ernest Grandidier in the Musée
Guimet, Paris, is recorded, illustrated in Oriental Ceramics. The
World’s Great Collections, Tokyo, 1981, vol. 7, pl. 163. A larger
vase of this type was offered in our Hong Kong rooms, 3rd April
2019, lot 3312. Compare also a smaller Yongzheng mark and
period vase of this form, but the floral scroll design painted in
copper red, sold in our London rooms, 19th June 1984, lot 350.

86 Buyers are liable to pay both the hammer price (as estimated above) and the buyer’s premium together with any applicable taxes and Artist’s Resale Right 87
(which will depend on the individual circumstances). Refer to the Buying at Auction and VAT sections at the back of this catalogue for further information.