the rounded sides rising to a narrow wasted neck and slightly flared rim, the sides crisply carved with three medallions in shallow relief with an archaistic dragon, all beneath a translucent white glaze; 12.7 cm, 5 in.  

Provenance: Christie's Hong Kong, 26th April 2004, lot 916.

Notes: Beehive waterpots of this shape are well-known with peach-bloom glazes but those covered in other monochrome glazes were produced in smaller numbers. A closely related waterpot in the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, is illustrated in Kangxi Porcelain Wares, Hong Kong, 1998, pl. 228; one from the Qing court collection and still in Beijing, is published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 111; another in the Koger collection, illustrated in J. Ayers, Chinese Ceramics. The Koger Collection, London, 1985, pl. 139, was sold in these rooms, 16th May 2012, lot 171; and a fourth example, from the Riesco collection, illustrated in Edgar E. Bluett, The Riesco Collection of Old Chinese Pottery and Porcelain, London, 1951, pl. 61 (right), was sold in these rooms, 11th December 1984, lot 430.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Londres, 09 nov. 2016, 11:30 AM

A Fine and Rare White-Glazed Beehive Waterpot, Taibo Zun, Kangxi Mark and Period (1662-1722). Lot sold 181,250 GBP at Sotheby's London, The Koger Collection, 11th December 1984, lot 430. Photo: Sotheby's.

the domed hemispherical body rising from a recessed base to a short waisted neck, finely moulded and carved with three dragon and phoenix medallions, applied overall with a milky-white glaze pooling to a slightly darker tone in the recesses of the carving, the base inscribed with a six-character Kangxi mark in underglaze-blue; 13cm., 5 1/8 in.

Exhibited: The Jacksonville Art Museum, 1973.

Literature: J. Ayers, Chinese Ceramics. The Koger Collection, London and New York, 1985, no. 139.

Notes: Beehive waterpots of this type are well-known with peach-bloom glazes but are rare in other colours. A closely related example from the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, is illustrated in Kangxi Porcelain Wares, Hong Kong, 1998, pl. 228; one from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, is published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 111; another from the Riesco collection, illustrated in Edgar E. Bluett, The Riesco Collection of Old Chinese Pottery and Porcelain, London, 1951, pl. 61 (right), was sold in these rooms, 11th December 1984, lot 430; and a fourth example exhibited on loan at Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, from the collection of Mrs Yale Kneeland, was sold in our New York rooms, 1st June 1994, lot 371, and again at Christie's Hong Kong, 26th April 1999, lot 507.