A fine famille rose oval jardiniére, Qianlong seal mark and of the period. Photo: Bonhams.

Potted with deep rounded sides, supported on a spreading foot rising to a flared mouth rim, densely decorated with colourful leafy lotus blossoms interspersed by iron-red flowers, each suspending beaded purple pendants above delicate leafy scrolls and ruyi-heads, all between a narrow band of floral plantain leaf sprays on the foot and a band of bats interspersed by daisies on the flat mouth rim, the base with an Imperial underglaze-blue zhuanshu seal mark. 26.2cm long.. Estimate: HK$ 1.4 million - 1.8 million (€130,000 - 170,000)

The Archives of Imperial Workshops and Court Inventories of the Qianlong period recorded that on the twnty-frist day of the twelfth month, the Qianlong Emperor ordered Bai Shixiu and Sa Muha to bring in a selected twenty-four porcelain jardiniéres from Tang Yin to be inspected by the Eunuch Gao Yu. The remaining jardiniéres were delivered to the Head of Household, Wang Jingzhong, in Yuanmingyuan. See similar examples from the Nanjing Museum, illustrated in Treasures in the Royalty: The Official Kiln Porcelain of The Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, pp.246-261.

The current lot is part of a rare group of famille rose white-ground wares from the Qianlong period. See, for example of a Qianlong seal mark and of the period white-ground famille rose mallet-shaped vase from the National Palace Museum, Taipei, seeStunning Decorative Porcelians from the Ch'ien-lung Reign, Taipei, 2008, p.99, pl.25; also another famille rose and gilt white-ground vase, Qianlong seal mark and of the period, from the Huaihaitang Collection, illustrated by P.Lam, Ethereal Elegance: Porcelain Vases of the Imperial Qing: The Huaihaitang Collection, Hong Kong, 2007, no.126, which exhibit the same masterful elegant foliate scrolls, filling the available space without overpowering the overall delicacy of the vase.

The present lot is finely painted with dense leafy scrolls of a type frequently depicted on famille rose Imperial wares from the Qianlong period. Compare for instance, similar leafy scrolls on a rectangular turquoise-ground famille rose jardinière, Qianlong period, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 May 2008, lot 1783. Compare also with a rare famille rose white-ground model of a Buddist stupa, Qianlong, sold at Christie's London, 9 November 2010, lot 330.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART. Hong Kong, Admiralty, 26 May 2014 14:00 HKT - http://www.bonhams.com/