A matched pair of blue and white 'Soldier' Vases And Covers. Qing dynasty, Kangxi period. Photo Sotheby's

Qing dynasty, Kangxi periodeach of tapering form with waisted neck and everted rim, finely painted with a central border of scrolling chilong amidst ruyi in reserve on a blue ground, between bands of stylised lotus with borders of upright leaves at the neck and stylised scrolling lotus at the foot, surmounted by matching domed covers with fo dog finials, together with a rare pair of Anglo-Dutch carved oak and later painted and parcel-gilt stands, late 17th century, in the manner of Daniel Marot, with borders of lambrequin and mask motifs. Quantity: 6 - 117 and 114cm., 46 and 45in., the stands: 51cm., 20 1/8 in. Estimate 100,000-150,000 GBP. Lot Sold: 187,250 GBP

NOTE: Magnificent soldier vases of this large form and complex design required technical virtuosity, not only in the potting of such large vessels but also in the firing of the pieces. The form of these vases was particularly in tune with late 17th century Baroque taste and the blue and white pieces were particularly popular in Europe. Such was the popularity of these extravagant vases that according to legend the term 'soldier vase' was coined as a result of Augustus the Strong (King of Poland, r. 1697-1733) trading 600 of his soldiers for 150 vases.

Closely related vases, but with a domed knop on the cover, include one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, illustrated in Oriental Ceramics. The World's Great Collections, vol. 11, Tokyo, 1982, pl. 114; a set of seven, formerly in the collection of Augustus the Strong and now in the Staatlliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden, is pictured in situ in Ulrich Pietsch, China. Japan. Meissen. The Dresden Porcelain Collection,  Dresden, 2006, p. 6. Another vase, but lacking its cover, was sold in these rooms, 12th May 2010, lot 107.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. London | 09 Nov 2011 www.sothebys.com