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

It is rare to find a cobalt blue-glazed vase of this form with a Yongzheng mark. Monochrome blue-glazed vases of this shape and glaze are more commonly found with Qianlong marks. Compare to two Qianlong vases, the first of a slightly larger size from the Shorenstein Collection was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 1 December 2010, lot 2971; and the other was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2007, lot 1722.

The rich cobalt blue seen on the current vase is sometimes referred to as 'sacrificial blue'. This name derives from the use of vessels bearing this coloured glaze during sacrifices at the Imperial Altar of Heaven in the Ming dynasty.