A large famille rose 'Immortals' vase. Qing dynasty, Jiaqing period. Photo Sotheby's

the ovoid body rising from a short spreading foot to a tall elegant waisted neck with everted gilt rim, brightly enamelled around the exterior with the Immortals in a mountainous landscape, all between dragon and ruyi bands at the shoulder and base, the neck with leafy lotus strapwork reserved on a mauve ground; 44cm., 17 3/8 in. Estimate 40,000-60,000 GBP. Lot Sold: 49,250 GBP

NOTE: While vases painted in famille rose enamels with figural scenes between colour ground borders are well known, this vase is unusual for the ruyi and chilong dragon borders and the bluish-lavender ground of the neck and lower body. 

Vases of similar ovoid form depicting figures in landscapes include one with a shorter neck with dragon and phoenix boating scenes between yellow-ground borders, but with archaistic dragon handles and inscribed Shengde tang (made for the Hall of Careful Virtue) on the base, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 28th April 1992, lot 185; and another sold in these rooms, 8th December 1992, lot 296. A pair of Jiaqing mark and period vases with similarly rendered lotus scrolls, but with C-shaped handles and depicting a Dragon Boat Festival scene, from the Huaihaitang collection, was included in the exhibition Ethereal Elegance, Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2007, cat. no. 138. The form of this vase is reminiscent of smaller vases decorated with foliate lotus scrolls on a coloured ground, such as one illustrated in Qingdai ciqi shangjian, Shanghai, 1994, p. 192, pl. 247.

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