Lot 3186. A famille-rose 'Eight immortals' baluster vase, Seal mark and period of Daoguang (1821-1850). Estimate 1,000,000 — 1,500,000 HKD. Lot sold 1,160,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.
the high-shouldered body rising to a waisted neck and an everted rim from a short straight foot, finely painted around the exterior with the 'Eight Immortals' in a grassy seascape laden with cragged rocks and a pine tree, Han Zhongli and Lu Dongbin greeting to the arrival of He Xiangu drifting on a lotus petal amidst crested waves while Han Xiangzhi gazes at the vaporous volutes issuing from Li Tieguai's double gourd, Lan Caihe and He Xiangu looking at Cao Guojiu's castanets flying in the air behind, all between borders of lime-green ruyi, the neck enamelled on a lime-green ground with large stylised lotus borne on scrolling foliage below a bat grasping the 'three abundances' of peach, finger citron and pomegranate, a frieze of turquoise ruyi at the mouth rim and pink key-fret at the foot, the interior and the underside glazed turquoise, the base inscribed with the six-character reign mark in iron-red, wood stand; 37.4 cm., 14 3/4 in.
Provenance: A Japanese collection.
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, Hong Kong, 04 Apr 2012