Lot 277. A Famille-Verte bottle vase, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Height 9 1/2  in., 24.2 cm. Estimate 6,000 — 8,000 USD. Lot Sold 18,750 USD. Photo Sotheby's.

of globular form rising to a tall cylindrical neck and rolled rim, well-painted with stylized floral medallions borne on leafy scrolls, the shoulder with alternating flower heads on an aubergine ground, the neck with further stylized floral meander and surmounted by a diaper cell band, the base with an underglaze blue 'G' mark.

Provenance: Ralph M. Chait Galleries, Inc., New York, 1980s.

Note: A famille-verte vase of this pattern and with the same mark is illustrated in John Ayers, Chinese Ceramics, The Koger Collection, London, 1989, pl. 11 and in Michel Beurdeley and Guy Raindre, Qing Porcelain, London, 1987, col. pl. 47. The origins and significance of the 'G' mark remain mysterious. The mark is found on very specific types of wares and have been of consistently high quality and is thought therefore to be commissioned by an influential and demanding European trader to distinguish the wares made exclusively for him.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Works of Art, New York, 17 march 2015, 02:00 PM