Lot 3003. A fine and rare Guan-type jar, Seal mark and period of Qianlong; 32.3 cm., 12 3/4  in. Estimate 2,000,000 - 3,000,000 HKD. Lot sold 3,160,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's

elegantly potted with a generous rounded body sweeping up to a waisted neck and flared lipped mouthrim, all supported on a recessed base, covered overall by an unctuous and flawless caesious-coloured glaze subtly pooling in a thicker layer toward the base and stopping neatly above the footring, the latter dressed in a brown wash imitating the purplish body of the Song dynasty guan ware, the base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character seal mark

Provenance: Collection of T.Y. Chao.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 19th May 1987, lot 287. 

Exhibited: Ch'ing Porcelain from the Wah Kwong Collection, Art Gallery, Institute of Chinese Studies, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1973, cat. no. 16. 

Note: The Qianlong Emperor is famous for his fondness for Imperial stonewares of the Song dynasty (960-1279) and adorned many of the pieces with his poems that had been inspired by them. Under his reign, glazes imitating Jun, Ding, guan, Ge and Ru wares, the five ‘official’ wares of the Song dynasty, were created to cover a range of carefully selected forms in the present piece. The high level of skill in ‘recreating’ every aspect of Song ware is evidenced in the foot which has been left unglazed and stained dark brown to imitate the prototype.