A very rare turquoise-ground famille-rose perfumier, seal mark and period of Qianlong. Photo: Sotheby's.

the spherical body supported on a narrow concave base and pierced on top with a circular aperture fitted with a porcelain plug, further reticulated around the sides with four evenly spaced gilt-rimmed medallions, each containing two confronted bats in puce enamel, and further divided by double-lotus wreathed in scrolling foliage above single blossoms interlinked around the base, all painted in multi-coloured enamels against a bright turquoise ground, the base decorated with radiating petal lappets and the aperture on top encircled by yellow-ground ruyi, the base left white and inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark; 10 cm., 3 7/8  in. Estimation 700,000 — 900,000 HKD 

Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 20th May 1981, lot 866

Qianlong mark and period perfumiers of this type are rare; see an unmarked example from the Sir Percival David collection and now in the British Museum, London, published in Lady Sheila David, Illustrated Catalogue of Ch’ing Enamelled Wares, section 2, London, 1958, pl. VI, fig. 841; another sold in these rooms, 16th May 1989, lot 307; and a third example from the collection of Winston Guest, sold twice in our New York rooms, 2nd December 1967, lot 9, and again, 10th April 1974, lot 188.