Lot 3562. A blue and white sleeve vase, Transitional period, circa 1640-1650. Estimate $40,000 – $60,000. Price Realized $43,750. Photo Christie’s Image Ltd 2015 

The vase is of elongated, tapering cylindrical form with a waisted neck and is decorated with a continuous scene of warriors and dignitaries in a landscape beneath a band of pendent leaves encircling the mouth rim. 18 in. (45.7 cm.) high.

Provenance: Jan Van Beers, London, 1984.
Collection of Julia and John Curtis.

Notes: The present vase is vibrantly painted with a decorative scheme that is typical of Transitional-period sleeve vases; a continuous, narrative scene unrolls around the surface, much like a scroll, beneath a band of pendent leaves. This particular scene, while certainly taken from a novel or story, remains unidentified. Compare the similarly proportioned vase with narrative scene beneath a leaf band sold at Christie’s London, 13 May 2014, lot 200.

CHRISTIE’S. AN ERA OF INSPIRATION: 17TH-CENTURY CHINESE PORCELAINS FROM THE COLLECTION OF JULIA AND JOHN CURTIS, 16 March 2015,New York, Rockefeller Plaza