YONGZHENG SIX-CHARACTER MARK WITHIN A CIRCLE AND OF THE PERIOD (1723-1735)

Two aspects of this vase are rare. The reign mark in three lines within a single circle is very unusual among Yongzheng imperial porcelain, as most examples bear reign marks in two lines within double circles. A famille rose meiping bearing the same rare mark is in the Beijing Palace Museum, illustrated in Porcelains with Cloisonne Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 50. The other feature underlining the rarity of this vase is its 'boneless' style of decoration, where the motifs are painted without outlines. This 'boneless' style is perhaps the least common of the enamelling techniques used at Jingdezhen, either because it was too complicated to use on a mass production scale or, if not handled well, give the impression that the piece was unfinished. The technique is discussed in detail by R. Scott, '18th Century Overglaze Enamels: the Influence of Technological Development on Painting Style', Style in the East Asian Tradition, Percival David Foundation, London, 1987, pp. 158-164.

Compare to a Yongzheng-marked bowl painted in 'boneless' style with birds and flowers from the E.T. Chow Collection, sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 25 November 1980, lot 164.