Lot 302.  A blue and white 'Figural' brushpot, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Height 5 1/8  in., 13 cm. Estimate 10,000 — 15,000. Lot sold 47,500 USD. © Sotheby's

of slightly waisted form, finely painted in varying tones of underglaze blue with a military scene centering on an imperious general standing in front of an encampment receiving news from a messenger carrying a banner emblazoned with the character ling (order) identifying the figure as a courier and allowing him to deliver news unimpeded during battle, their fluttering garments emphasizing the dramatic moment, chevron bands above and below, the base with an apocryphal Chenghua four-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle, coll. no. 365.

The Jie Rui Tang Collection.

Provenance: Knapton & Rasti Asian Art, London, 2001.

Note: The rhythmic, linear rendering of the rockwork and the landscape depicted by loosely-formed, washy 'blobby dots' recall the style known as 'Master of the Rocks'. This painterly style, reminiscent of late Ming dynasty artists such as Wang Jianzhang, is represented on scholarly objects made by the artisans of Jingdezhen from the 1640s through the 1690s. The present brushpot is a fine example of the late expression of this famous style. The fine potting, quality of the cobalt blue, inclusion of chevron borders and the Chenghua mark inscribed loosely on the base are consistent with other wares made in the early to mid-1690s.