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A RARE CARVED CELADON-GLAZED 'PHOENIX AND CHILONG' BOTTLE VASE Six-character Yongzheng seal mark and of the period image 1
A RARE CARVED CELADON-GLAZED 'PHOENIX AND CHILONG' BOTTLE VASE Six-character Yongzheng seal mark and of the period image 2
A RARE CARVED CELADON-GLAZED 'PHOENIX AND CHILONG' BOTTLE VASE Six-character Yongzheng seal mark and of the period image 3
A RARE CARVED CELADON-GLAZED 'PHOENIX AND CHILONG' BOTTLE VASE Six-character Yongzheng seal mark and of the period image 4
A RARE CARVED CELADON-GLAZED 'PHOENIX AND CHILONG' BOTTLE VASE Six-character Yongzheng seal mark and of the period image 5
A RARE CARVED CELADON-GLAZED 'PHOENIX AND CHILONG' BOTTLE VASE Six-character Yongzheng seal mark and of the period image 6
PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT AMERICAN PRIVATE COLLECTION
Lot 27

A RARE CARVED CELADON-GLAZED 'PHOENIX AND CHILONG' BOTTLE VASE
Six-character Yongzheng seal mark and of the period

Amended
Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art including the Francine and Bernard Wald Collection of Fine Snuff Bottles, Part I
17 March 2025, 09:00 EDT
New York

Sold for US$1,754,500 inc. premium

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A RARE CARVED CELADON-GLAZED 'PHOENIX AND CHILONG' BOTTLE VASE

Six-character Yongzheng seal mark and of the period
Raised on a small, flared foot supporting the globular low-set body rising to eight-petal flower head forming a 'lotus' mouth, the body superbly carved and molded with a two splendid phoenix, each capturing a leafy stem in its beak and paired with an elegant chilong amidst undulating floral scrolls issuing leafy tendrils as they cavort with wings and split tails outstretched under a cloud-collar and keyfret band set off by a pair of lion mask and ring bosses, the slender neck carved with stiff lappets separated by a single bow string from a tight, elegant cloud collar enclosing 'precious jewels' under the petal-lobed band at the rim, the masterfully-carved surface all under a fine pale sea-green celadon glaze stopping evenly at the foot ring and repeated on the recessed foot, the six-character Yongzheng seal mark in underglaze blue.

11 1/8in (30.2cm) high

Footnotes

清雍正 《大清雍正年製》篆書款 粉青釉刻花鸞鳳螭龍紋花口長頸瓶

Provenance:
Collection of Robert Skelton (1929-2022) (Keeper of the Indian Department at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London), by repute, and thence by descent
Acquired from the above

來源：
傳 Robert Skelton (1929-2022) 舊藏（倫敦維多利亞及艾爾伯特藝術博物館前任印度藝術策展人），後於家族內傳承
現任藏家自上述購得

The present vase harmoniously combines the Yongzheng emperor's (r. 1722-1735) refined aesthetic with his reverence for antiquity and penchant for artistic innovation.

The vase's essential form derives from Han dynasty bronze wine vessels (hu) with elongated pear-shaped bodies and 'garlic'-form mouths, such as the one from Michael Goedhuis sold in our London rooms, 17 May 2023, lot 302. These archaic precedents were cast in metal for ritual use and their surfaces were unadorned.

In the Ming dynasty, artisans revived the ancient shape and created fresh interpretations in bronze and porcelain. The latter were typically painted underglaze blue or overglaze enamels with contemporaneous subjects such as figural scenes, scrolling lotus, dragons amidst flowers, or fishponds. The bulbous mouths of these vases ranged from smooth to lobed to 'lotus bud' form.

The present vase draws upon both historical precedents by closely following the silhouette of Han dynasty versions, while adopting the porcelain medium and 'lotus' mouth of Ming dynasty vases. The treatment of the surface, however, is a distinct expression of the Yongzheng emperor's taste. The swelling lower body is finely carved in relief with archaistic phoenix and chilong amidst scrolling vines, all below a band of upright leaves, and an upper band of Buddhist flames within lappets. Two additional archaistic flourishes adorn the sides in the form of mock mask-and-ring handles. Through the blending of design elements from different periods, the vase conveys the Emperor's ability to harmonize the past with the present. Meanwhile, the lotus and flames symbolize his religious beliefs.

The richly carved surface is bathed under a lustrous celadon glaze that unifies the composition and imparts a sense of restraint and serenity. The choice of color nods to the celebrated imperial monochrome wares of the Song dynasty, which drew their chromatic inspiration from jade, a material associated with virtue and purity since antiquity. Through each of these aesthetic choices, the present vase encapsulates the Yongzheng emperor's erudition and the principals that guided his governance of the Qing empire.

Only one other vase of this design is known, which appears to be the mate to the present example. It was preserved in the Qing Court Collection and now resides in the Beijing Palace Museum (coll. no. 故00151998), viewable on the Museum's website, and illustrated in illustrated in Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, p. 270, pl. 99.

Monochrome-glazed versions of this vase embellished only with the 'lotus' mouth and mock handles, and no further adornment, were also produced for the Yongzheng emperor. See three celadon-glazed examples, including one in the Beijing Palace Museum (coll. no. 故00151915); one included in the exhibition Chinese Ceramics, Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, 1994, cat. no. 331; and one in the Baur Foundation, Museum of Far Eastern Art, Geneva, exhibited and published in Mille ans de Monochromes. Vaiselle sacree et profane des empereurs de Chine, Fondation Baur, 5Continents Editions, Milan, 2018, p. 194, cat. no. 69. The collection of the Beijing Palace Museum also contains a 'robin's egg'-glazed version (coll. no. 故00148947). Three vases of this form belong to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, including a 'tea dust'-glazed version (coll. no. C.132-1939) from the Eumorfopolous Collection; a red-hued flambé-glazed vase (coll. no. C.382-1910) from the Salting Bequest; and a 'robin's egg'-glazed example (coll. no. 601&A-1907) given by Mrs. Julia C. Gulland.

Yongzheng mark and period 'lotus'-mouth vases are extremely rare on the market. The only known example to be offered at auction in recent years is a blue and white vase painted with composite floral scroll, sold three times at Sotheby's Hong Kong: 15 May 1990, lot 135; 29 April 1997, lot 408; and 8 April 2011, lot 3117. See also a Yongzheng mark and period moonflask similarly carved to the present vase with archaistic chilong and scrolling vines under a celadon glaze sold at Christie's, Hong Kong, 31 October 2000, Lot 876.

Saleroom notices

Please note: the height of the vase is 11 3/4in (29.8cm).
請注意：此瓶高為 11 3/4in (29.8cm)。

Additional information

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