A carved 'qingbai' 'dragon' vase, meiping. Yuan dynasty. photo courtesy Sotheby's

the elegant baluster body rising from a gently tapering base to full swelling shoulders, surmounted by a short waisted neck with a rolled lip, carved in bold and free strokes around the exterior with a broad band enclosing a large dragon writhing amidst tumultuous foaming waves, all between a lotus lappet band at the base and a floral scroll encircling the shoulder and narrow neck, covered overall with an icy blue glaze, the base unglazed revealing the white body. height 10 7/8 in., 27.6 cm. Est. 40,000—60,000 USD - Sold 50,000 USD 

PROVENANCE: From a New England Collection.

NOTE: Vases of this type are quite precisely datable since several examples are known from dated archaeological sites. A closely related pair of 'Qingbai' meiping with covers unearthed at Wannian county, Jiangxi province and dated to 1324 AD is illustrated in Dated Qingbai Wares of the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Hong Kong, 1998, pl. 97; compare another meiping of this type and design in the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, illustrated in Timothy Potts (ed.), Kimbell Art Museum. Handbook of the Collection, Fort Worth, Texas, 2003, p. 197, upper left. An example of this type from the Plesch collection, was sold in these rooms, 12th July 2006, lot 47; a vase of larger proportions formerly in the Toguri Museum of Art, Tokyo, was also sold in these rooms, 9th June 2004, lot 58.

A powder-blue baluster jar. Qing dynasty, Kangxi period. photo courtesy Sotheby's

of baluster shape with an upright neck, traces of gilt decoration on the exterior, with elaborately carved wood stand and cover (3). height 12 1/2 in., 31.8 cm. Est. 5,000—7,000 USD - Sold 10,625 USD

PROVENANCE: Acquired by Belle Selby Curtice for her daughter Miriam Curtice Dodge in Beijing in 1917.
Thence by descent to the present owner.

A large celadon-glazed bowl. Yongzheng mark and period. photo courtesy Sotheby's

the broad rounded sides supported on a straight foot, covered overall in a pale sea-green glaze of even color, the interior and underside of base glazed white, inscribed in underglaze-blue with a six-character mark within double-circles on the base. diameter 10 1/4 in., 26 cm. Est. 15,000—20,000 USD - Sold 18,750 USD

PROVENANCE: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 23rd October 2005, lot 518

A group of three porcelain wares. Qing dynasty, Kangxi period and later. photo courtesy Sotheby's

comprising: one blue-glazed dish with incised dragons to the interior and exterior, Kangxi mark and period; one langyao dish with a raspberry-color glaze turning an apple-green color on the foot, Qianlong seal mark and period; and a copper-red decorated sanduo ('Three Abundances') bowl, Kangxi mark and period (3). blue dish: diameter 9 3/4 in., 24.8 cm langyao dish: diameter 8 1/4 in., 21 cm bowl: diameter 6 in., 15.2 cm. Est. 8,000—12,000 USD - Sold 9,375 USD

PROVENANCE: Collection of Gertrude Morgenroth.
Thence by descent to the present owner.

EXHIBITED: Akron Art Institute, Akron, Ohio (before 1981).

A celadon-glazed vase, cong. Qianlong seal mark and period. photo courtesy Sotheby's

modeled after the archaic jade prototype, of square section with a short cylindrical neck, molded with four short horizontal raised bands on each corner, divided into sections by further raised fillets, covered overall in a pale icy green glaze, wood stand, Japanese wood box (3). height 6 3/4 in., 17.1 cm. Est. 20,000—30,000 USD - Sold 30,000 USD

PROVENANCE: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8th April 2007, lot 731

An octagonal 'ru'-type vase. Qianlong seal mark and period. photo courtesy Sotheby's

of chamfered square section, the slightly tapered upright body supported on a narrow splayed foot, with angled shoulders sloping up to the waisted neck, covered overall in a slightly mottled thick glaze of attractive lavender-gray tone, continuing over the base, the neatly finished footrim dressed with a dark brown slip, the base inscribed in underglaze-blue with a six-character seal mark. height 13 in., 33 cm. Est. 70,000—90,000 USD - Sold 110,500 USD

PROVENANCE: Property of a Private Asian Collection.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 23rd October 2005, lot 321.

NOTE: A closely related vase was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 2nd May 2005, lot 693; another, 19th May 1982, lot 274; and a third example was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1st October 1991, lot 810. Compare also a Daoguang vase, with reign mark and of the period, of this form but covered in a guan-type glaze in the Simon Kwan collection, included in the exhibition Imperial Porcelain of Late Qing from the Kwan Collection, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1983, cat. no. 85; and another in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Special Exhibition of Ch'ing Dynasty Monochrome-Glaze Porcelain, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1981, cat. no. 98

A large archaistic 'ru'-type vase. Qianlong seal mark and period. photo courtesy Sotheby's

of flattened pear shape molded with raised strapwork panels, the tall waisted neck set with a pair of stylized fish handles, all supported on a spreading foot and covered overall with a bluish-gray glaze. height 13 3/4 in., 35 cm. Est. 60,000—80,000 USD - Sold 74,500 USD

PROVENANCE: Sotheby's London, 12th July 2006, lot 132.

NOTE: A similar ru-type vase also with a Qianlong reign mark and of the period is illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 2, London, 1994, pl. 873; three further examples were sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 29th November 1979, lot 290; 29th October 2001, lot 576; and the third piece, 20th April 2006, lot 1624. Compare also a larger Qianlong vase of this form but covered with a teadust glaze, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 247.

A large molded celadon-glazed bowl. Qianlong seal mark and period. photo courtesy Sotheby's

of deep U-shape rising to a flared lip, delicately molded to the exterior with large peony sprays accompanied by an assortment of flowers and fruits, including pomegranate, prunus, finger citron, peach, and pinks, the sea-green glaze applied throughout thinning to a white color at the rim, supported on a slightly tapered foot. diameter 13¼ in., 33.7 cm. Est. 35,000—45,000 USD - Sold 80,500 USD 

NOTE: Celadon-glazed bowls of this molded decoration are rare although a very similar example, from the collection of the Tsui Museum of Art, Hong Kong, and illustrated in the museum's catalogue The Tsui Art Museum, Hong Kong, 1991, cat. no. 127, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 3rd November 1996, lot 570. Compare another closely related bowl, also with a Qianlong reign mark and of the period, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 27th April 1993, lot 86; and a third piece sold in these rooms, 23rd October 1976, lot 278.

A pair of 'guan'-type archaistic vases, cong. Tongzhi marks and period. photo courtesy Sotheby's

each of tall rectangular shape and square section, the facets molded with the bagua (Eight Trigrams), supported on a short flared foot, all below the gently curved neck and lipped rim, suffused with a thick crackled light-blue glaze, six-character mark in underglaze-blue to the base (2). height 10 3/4 in., 27.3 cm. Est. 5,000—7,000 USD - Sold 8,750 USD

An incised celadon-glazed dish. Yongzheng mark and period. photo courtesy Sotheby's

the shallow sides rising to the white-glazed rim, the interior well finely incised with two large stylized bats with foliated wings and tails encircling a shou medallion, surrounded by a double-line border, the cavetto with five formal cloud scrolls, a band of flying bats and ruyi-head clouds on the reverse, applied overall with an even celadon glaze, the underside glazed white with the six-character reign mark in a double-circle. diameter 8 1/4 in., 21 cm. Est. 30,000—50,000 USD - Sold 37,500 USD

PROVENANCE: Edward T. Chow Collection (until 1980).
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 25th November 1980, lot 97.

NOTE: This dish is unusual for its design and no other example appears to have been published. Compare a pair of slightly smaller dishes, similarly incised in the interior with five cloud scrolls on the well, but with the central shou character encircled by five bats flying amidst crashing waves, and a further five bats flying above frothy waves encircling the foot on the exterior, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 2nd May 2000, lot 532. See also a celadon-glazed dish decorated with a central shou character surrounded by crested waves, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 5th November 1996, lot 846.

The combination of bats and shou medallion symbolize the wish for blessings and longevity, while the clouds provide an additional wish for good fortune.

A small incised green-glazed 'bajixiang' dish. Qianlong seal mark and period. photo courtesy Sotheby's

the thinly potted dish applied overall with an iridescent deep-green glaze, the exterior incised with the bajixiang ('Eight Buddhist Emblems'), supported on a short foot, the white-glazed base with the six-character seal mark. diameter 6 1/4 in., 15.9 cm. Est. 5,000—7,000 USD - Sold 10,000 USD

A copper-red glazed bowl. Yongzheng mark and period. photo courtesy Sotheby's

well-potted with rounded flared sides, applied with a strawberry-red glaze pooling to a deeper color towards the foot, the interior and base glazed white, the base inscribed with a six-character mark in underglaze blue. diameter 6 in., 15.2 cm. Est. 6,000—8,000 USD - Sold 7,500 USD

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. 16 Sep 09. New York www.sothebys.com