Lot Essay
No other vase of this shape and decoration appears to be recorded.
Compare the globular vase carved with dragons but under a light blue glaze in the Beijing Palace Museum, illustrated in Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, p. 462, col. pl. 144. Other related vessels include a guan carved in shallow relief with dragons under a fine celadon glaze and bearing a Qianlong mark, illustrated by du Boulay, Christie's Pictorial History of Chinese Ceramics, p. 217, no. 8, from the Fonthill heirlooms, sold in Hong Kong, 17 May 1988, lot 75 and another illustrated in Zhongguo Meishu Quanji, vol. 3, Ceramics, p. 162, no. 192.
Related vessels with Qianlong marks carved in shallow relief with dragons amidst clouds under pale celadon glazes include a lantern jar and cover and gu vase in the Beijing Palace Museum, illustrated in Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, pp. 460-461, col.pls. 142-143. The latter has bats among the clouds as does a related bottle vase with Qianlong mark under a pale celadon glaze, from the Stephen Junkunc III Collection sold in our New York Rooms, 21 September 1995, lot 241.
This vase is an excellent example of the effect that could be created by using the inaglio form of decoration on a monochrome porcelain vessel, the technique of adding elaborate crisp decoration of archaistic motifs densly placed around the body, the details highlighted by the translucent glaze pooling in the deeper recesses to provide a contrast of colour tone, creating two different shades of green from the same glaze, while simultaneously accentuating the finely detailed design.
(US$400,000-500,000)
Compare the globular vase carved with dragons but under a light blue glaze in the Beijing Palace Museum, illustrated in Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, p. 462, col. pl. 144. Other related vessels include a guan carved in shallow relief with dragons under a fine celadon glaze and bearing a Qianlong mark, illustrated by du Boulay, Christie's Pictorial History of Chinese Ceramics, p. 217, no. 8, from the Fonthill heirlooms, sold in Hong Kong, 17 May 1988, lot 75 and another illustrated in Zhongguo Meishu Quanji, vol. 3, Ceramics, p. 162, no. 192.
Related vessels with Qianlong marks carved in shallow relief with dragons amidst clouds under pale celadon glazes include a lantern jar and cover and gu vase in the Beijing Palace Museum, illustrated in Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, pp. 460-461, col.pls. 142-143. The latter has bats among the clouds as does a related bottle vase with Qianlong mark under a pale celadon glaze, from the Stephen Junkunc III Collection sold in our New York Rooms, 21 September 1995, lot 241.
This vase is an excellent example of the effect that could be created by using the inaglio form of decoration on a monochrome porcelain vessel, the technique of adding elaborate crisp decoration of archaistic motifs densly placed around the body, the details highlighted by the translucent glaze pooling in the deeper recesses to provide a contrast of colour tone, creating two different shades of green from the same glaze, while simultaneously accentuating the finely detailed design.
(US$400,000-500,000)