A massive, rare and impressive blue and white 'floral' vase, Seal mark and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735)

robustly potted with a baluster body rising from a stepped foot to a tall waisted neck flaring at the rim, the body and neck boldly painted in rich cobalt-blue tones, with meandering leafy scrolls bearing composite floral blooms including lotus, camellia, hibiscus and peony, the shoulder collared by stylised floral sprays and key-fret bands between lappet bands enclosing lotus blooms, all below a band of scrolling lingzhi and a ruyi-shaped lappet band enclosing floral sprays at the rim, the foot encircled by a band of tumultuous waves above stylised floral sprays, inscribed to the base with a six-character seal mark.

Note: This vase is among the largest porcelain vases produced by the imperial kiln of the Yongzheng reign, and appears to be unique, although a similar example of slightly different scroll pattern was sold in these rooms, 29th November 1977, lot 201 (fig. 1). One similar vase decorated with flower scrolls supporting the Eight Buddhist Emblems in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (III), Shanghai, 2000, no. 88; and another with fruit spray, is illustrated in Blue and White Ware of the Ch'ing Dynasty, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1968, vol. I, p. 68, pl. 2-2d.

Blue and white ‘floral scroll’ vase, seal mark and period of Yongzheng, Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 29th November 1977, lot 201.

See also two examples decorated with dragons amidst a composite floral meander, one from the Palace Museum, Beijing, and illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (III), op. cit., no. 89 (fig. 2), and another from the Yi Tak Tang collection, included in The Grandeur of Chinese Art Treasures: Min Chiu Society Golden Jubilee Exhibition, Hong Kong, 2010-2011, cat. no. 169.

Blue and white ‘dragon and flower’ vase, seal mark and period of Yongzheng© Collection of Palace Museum, Beijing

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art from the Collection of Sir Quo-Wei Lee, Hong Kong, 03 oct. 2018, 10:10 AM