Lot 11. The Au Bak Ling Collection. A doucai 'mythical animal' jar, Yongzheng period (1723-1735); 10.3 cm high. Price realised HKD 5,040,000 (Estimate HKD 1,000,000-2,000,000). © Christie's Images Ltd 2024.

The ovoid jar is decorated on the exterior with four mythical animals, two picked out in yellow enamel, the other two in iron-red enamel, galloping among pale green clouds over darker green rolling waves with reserved white crests, all finely outlined in underglaze-blue and enclosed between underglaze-blue lotus lappets. The base is inscribed with a tian (heaven) character mark.

Provenance: J.T. Tai Collection
Important Chinese Ceramics sold for the benefit of the J.T. Tai Foundation, sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 21 May 1985, lot 23.

Note: The design of this jar is inspired by the Chenghua period prototype. Compare to a Chenghua period jar in the Qing court collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Wucai Doucai, Hong Kong, 1999, no. 163. Compare also to two similar Yongzheng period doucai jars, one in the Qing court collection, illustrated in ibid. no. 233, the other sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 May 2024, lot 2887.

Christie's. The Au Bak Ling Collection: The Inaugural Sale, Hong Kong, 26 September 2024