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Lot Essay
No other vase of exactly this type appears to have been published. The combination of size and decoration is very rare. A smaller (27cm.) ruby-ground famille rose ovoid vase with Qianlong mark, also with pendent ruyi-collar rim, is illustrated by J. Ayers, The Baur Collection - Chinese Ceramics, vol. 4, Geneva, 1974, no. A 632. Like the present vase the body is decorated with lotus scroll between lappet and ruyi borders and is raised on a slightly spreading foot. A somewhat smaller (36.5cm.) blue and white vase in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, which is more similar in form to the present vase, and also has a similar pendent ruyi rim, but is decorated with dragons and lingzhi, is illustrated in Blue-and-White Ware of the Ch'ing Dynasty, Book II, Hong Kong, 1968, pl. 10.
For the Chinese potters of the Qianlong period, the innovation and challenge of a pendent, free-standing band of ruyi to replace the band of painted ruyi heads that often encircled mouth rims, would only seem natural, but may have been difficult to achieve successfully. Such a ruyi band painted in famille rose enamels can be seen on an equally large vase of similar shape, decorated with bats suspending precious objects amidst foliate scroll and with a pair of animal mask handles, and with Qianlong mark, sold Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 29 April-1 May 2000, lot 644.
For the Chinese potters of the Qianlong period, the innovation and challenge of a pendent, free-standing band of ruyi to replace the band of painted ruyi heads that often encircled mouth rims, would only seem natural, but may have been difficult to achieve successfully. Such a ruyi band painted in famille rose enamels can be seen on an equally large vase of similar shape, decorated with bats suspending precious objects amidst foliate scroll and with a pair of animal mask handles, and with Qianlong mark, sold Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 29 April-1 May 2000, lot 644.