KANGXI SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE AND OF THE PERIOD (1662-1722)

The shape of this vase is sometimes described as liuye zun, 'willow-leaf vase', owing to its elegant form which resembles that of a willow leaf. It is also known as Guanyin ping, referring to the shape of the vase held by many figures of Guanyin, and said to contain ambrosia or magic elixir. It is one of the ba da ma or 'Eight Great Numbers', eight specific vessels covered in a peachbloom glaze.

Similar Kangxi-marked amphoras are in major institutions worldwide including the Palace Museum, Beijing; the Shanghai Museum; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the National Palace Museum, Taipei; and the Baur Collection, Geneva. See, also, the example sold at Christie's New York, 15 September 2016, lot 918, from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and formerly in the Mary Stillman Harkness (1874-1952) Collection. See, also, a similar example from the Anna Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation, sold at Christie’s New York, 14-15 September 2017, lot 1230.