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Lot Essay
The exact meaning behind the design on this unusual and delightful bottle is unclear, but may possibly be related to the legend of the Eight Immortals, who, while crossing the sea, threw down their attributes on the stormy waters to serve as vessels and were sometimes transformed into fabulous swimming monsters. Similar strange mythological creatures can be found on metal works and porcelains of the Ming dynasty, such as the Xuande-marked stem cup in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in the Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Selected Hsuan-te Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, p. 222, no. 84. Of note here is the rather realistic-looking pig, save for his bright blue ears, a curious inclusion in such a mythical gathering.
This is an extremely rare example, not only for its remarkable quality and unusual design, but also for the private collector's mark appearing on the base indicating the bottle was made for the specific owner. Its inclusion is a pleasant change from the apocryphal Qianlong mark commonly found on 19th century molded porcelain bottles. The inscription, Qiaozhai can either be read as a hao (pseudonym) or as a studio name.
This is an extremely rare example, not only for its remarkable quality and unusual design, but also for the private collector's mark appearing on the base indicating the bottle was made for the specific owner. Its inclusion is a pleasant change from the apocryphal Qianlong mark commonly found on 19th century molded porcelain bottles. The inscription, Qiaozhai can either be read as a hao (pseudonym) or as a studio name.