QIANLONG SEAL MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE AND OF THE PERIOD (1736-1795)

The shape and decoration of the present vase is based on prototypes of the early Ming dynasty, and due to its popularity continued to be produced through the end of the Qing dynasty. However, the present vase is notably different from the later Qing examples, and shares more in common with its Ming counterparts. Mid-to late-Qing interpretations of this yuhuchunping form are typically more slender compared to the broader, more bulbous body of the present vase, which was typical of examples made earlier in the dynasty. The present vase also has a pronounced and deeply curved rim, whereas later Qing interpretations typically have an everted and more flattened rim. The painting on the current vase is also more closely related to the painting found on Ming vases of this type, with bold brushwork and a dark, inky blue compared to the more formal painting and bright blue cobalt of later Qing versions. A similar vase in shape, size and decoration is the nearly identical yuhuchunping in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Ming Chu Qinghuaci, Beijing, 2002, p. 328, no. 175, which is unmarked but dated to the Kangxi period. A Qianlong-marked vase of this design was sold at Bonhams London, 11 November 2010, lot 312.