Page 43 - Fine Imperial Porcelain at Sothebys Hong Kong April 3 2019

This rare flask displays the Qianlong Emperor’s penchant London rooms, 10th December 1985, lot 271. Compare
for porcelain that was both innovative and artistically also a celadon-glazed version decorated with dragons, in
challenging, while evoking celebrated designs from China’s the Shanghai Museum, illustrated in Lu Minghua, Qingdai
glorious porcelain tradition. The result is an engaging vessel Yongzheng – Xuantong guanyao ciqi [Qing dynasty official
that is at once innovative and familiar. The double-gourd wares from the Yongzheng to the Xuantong reigns],
form and the floral scroll on this piece appear to derive from Shanghai, 2014, pl. 4-13 (right); another from the J.M. Hu
early Ming moonflasks (bianhu), which had been revived in collection, sold in our New York rooms, 4th June 1985, lot 37;
the Yongzheng reign. This rare truncated version was first and a further flask decorated in doucai enamels, illustrated
developed in the Yongzheng period, and extant examples in James Spencer, Selected Chinese Ceramics from Han to
are known painted in blue and white, copper red and doucai Qing Dynasties, Taipei, 1990, pl. 160.
enamels, as well as covered in monochrome glazes.
Qianlong mark and period flasks painted with similar motifs
While Yongzheng mark and period flasks of this form are are also known with a rounded lower bulb, such as one from
relatively common, Qianlong versions are rare. Only two the T.Y. Chao collection, included in the exhibition Ming and
pairs of closely related examples appear to have been Ch’ing Porcelain from the Collection of the T.Y. Chao Family
published: the first sold at Christie’s Hong Kong in 1997, and Foundation, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 19778,
twice in these rooms, 27th April 2003, lot 56 and 10th April cat. no. 88, and sold twice in these rooms, 12th May 1976,
2006, lot 1686, and the second sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, lot 111, and 19th May 1987, lot 274, and again at Christie’s
27th October 2003, lot 634, and in these rooms, 8th April Hong Kong, 1st December 2010, lot 3054; and another sold
2010, lot 1821. in these rooms, 3rd May 1994, lot 174.
Flasks of this truncated form are also known covered in For the prototype of this form and design, compare a
a tea-dust glaze. A flask from the collection of Sir Joseph Yonghzeng mark and period flask painted in underglaze blue
Hotung, included in the Min Chiu Society exhibition An and red, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The
Anthology of Chinese Art, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue
Hong Kong, 1985, cat. no. 188, was originally sold in these and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (III), Shanghai,
rooms, 21st May 1979, lot 126, and again at Christie’s Hong 2000, pl. 200.
Kong, 30th May 2006, lot 1253; another was sold in these
rooms, 11th April 2008, lot 2817; and a pair was sold in our

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