A Longquan arrow vase with incised decoration, Ming dynasty. Photo Bonhams

Of pear form with two cylindrical ringed handles applied vertically to the waisted neck, the surfaces incised with bands of stiff leaves, peony flowers and leafy branches above a molded band of raised lotus petals radiating outward above the tall foot, the limpid olive green glaze covering the neck and exterior walls, with accidental splashes adhering to the cinnamon-burnt surfaces of the unglazed and deeply recessed base. 7 1/8in (18cm) high. Estimate US$ 4,000 - 6,000 (€2,900 - 4,400)

Provenance: purchased in Japan in the 1950s

Notes: For a Longquan vase of similar form and height (17.2cm) excavated in 1985 from a Ming site at Liantang, Pucheng district in Fujian, see Zhu Boqian (ed), Longquan yao qing ci, 1998, cat. no. 241, p. 256.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE WORKS OF ART, San Francisco, 24 Jun 2014 10:00 - http://www.bonhams.com/