Sturdily potted of quatrelobed form, the main facing sides finely painted with cobalt of vivid blue tone to depict a composite floral meander within a band of classic scrolls at the border, each of the canted sides with lingzhi fungus borne on an undulating vine within a double-line cartouche, the shoulder with a pair of scrolling handles flanking the gently waisted neck of conforming quatrelobed section, decorated with floral sprays under a keyfret band under the lipped mouth rim, supported on a splayed foot with leafy florets above a keyfret band - 24 in. (48.2 cm.) high, Japanese box  

Literature: Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, Japan, 1986, no. 948 

Notes: The present example belongs to a small group of vases with compressed bodies known as moonflasks dated to the Yongzheng period that are potted of subtly varied shapes. These include those of lobed form after the shape of a begonia flower as in the case of this example; in hexagonal form such as the two quail and geese vases, one in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, and the other sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 December 2010, lot 3051; and of circular shape such as the celadon-glazed vase with a triple neck, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 December 2010, lot 3004.

A magnificent and very rare underglaze-blue facetted moonflask, Yongzheng six-character sealmark and of the period (1723-1735). Estimate HKD 10,000,000 - HKD 15,000,000 (USD 1,293,462 - USD 1,940,193). Price Realised HKD 79,060,000 (USD 10,222,482) at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 December 2010, lot 3051. © Christie's Images Ltd 2011. 

A superb large celadon-glazed triple-neck moonflask, Yongzheng six-character sealmark and of the period (1723-1735). Estimate HKD 4,000,000 - HKD 6,000,000 (USD 517,385 - USD 776,077). Price Realised HKD 20,820,000 (USD 2,692,032) at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 December 2010, lot 3004. © Christie's Images Ltd 2011.

An identical vase of this shape and pattern but without the yellow-ground was sold at Sotheby's London, 9 December 1986, lot 241. A related vase of this shape although decorated with birds and peaches is illustrated in Qing Ceramics from the Collection of Umezawa Kinenkan, Tokyo, 1993, no. 70. 

A blue and white quatrefoil moonflask, Yongzheng six-character sealmark and of the period (1723-1735) sold at Sotheby's London, 9 December 1986, lot 241. Photo Sotheby's.