Page 61 - March 23, 2022 Sotheby's NYC Fine Chinese Works of Art

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A MING-STYLE YELLOW-GROUND Catalogues of the Tokyo National Museum. Chinese Ceramics
UNDERGLAZE BLUE ‘NINE PEACHES’ DISH II, Tokyo, 1965, pl. 625. See also a pair from the T. Y. Chao
SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG Collection, included in the exhibition Ch’ing Porcelain from
the Wah Kwong Collection, Chinese University of Hong Kong,
the base with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue Hong Kong, 1973, cat. no. 45, and sold in our Hong Kong
Diameter 10½ in., 26.8 cm rooms, 19th May 1987, lot 316.
PROVENANCE $ 50,000-70,000
Collection of Virginia Hundley (1925-2019).
Dishes of this type are held in important private and 清乾隆 黃地青花九桃紋大盤
museum collections worldwide. One in the National Palace
Museum, Taipei, is illustrated in Blue and White Ware of the 《大清乾隆年製》款
Ch’ing Dynasty, vol. 2, Hong Kong, 1968, pl. 29; another in
the Nanjing Museum, Nanjing, is published in Treasures 來源
in the Royalty: The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Virginia Hundley (1925-2019) 收藏
Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, pl. 221; and a third from
the Yokogawa Collection, is published in the Illustrated

264
PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED NORTH AMERICAN For examples sold at auction, see one sold twice in our
COLLECTION Hong Kong rooms, 1st November 1999, lot 378 and 8th April
AN EXQUISITE AND RARE SMALL BLUE AND 2011, lot 3116; another sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 29th
WHITE ‘BOYS’ VASE May 2007, lot 1500; one sold first at Christie’s Hong Kong,
MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG 31st March 1992, lot 613, and later in these rooms, 11th-12th
September 2012, lot 49; one sold in our London rooms, 20th
the base with a six-character mark in underglaze blue June 2001, lot 22; one sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 2nd
Height 3⅝ in., 9.3 cm November 1998, lot 392; and another, sold in these rooms,
9th December 1987, lot 269.
PROVENANCE
Acquired in Hong Kong prior to 1968, and thence by descent. ⊖ $ 40,000-60,000
Delicately designed and painted, this superb miniature vase
is an example of the unprecedented levels of refinement and 清雍正 青花開光嬰戲圖小方瓶
sophistication characteristic of porcelain manufacture during 《大清雍正年製》款
the Yongzheng period. The auspicious ‘children at play’
subject, the elegant brushwork, and soft hues of cobalt blue
suggest that the present lot was inspired by the porcelains 來源
produced during the Chenghua period. 1968年之前購於香港，此後家族傳承
Only a small group of vases of this type are recorded,
including one of slightly larger size, from the collection of
Ms. Dorothy Bushell, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum,
London (accession no. FE.118-1975); and another, from the
John Gardner Coolidge Collection, lent by Mrs. John Gardner
Coolidge since 1946 to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
(accession no. 46.802).

118 SOTHEBY’S COMPLETE CATALOGUING AVAILABLE AT SOTHEBYS.COM/N10917 119