Note:A slightly larger brushpot of this form, decorated with alternating rectangular panels of sages in landscapes and short inscriptions between floral borders, was sold in our London rooms, 17th November 1970, lot 170.

Porcelains with shaped panels resembling windows decorated with floral or figural scenes are typical of the Qianlong period, although the style appears to have been first explored during the Yongzheng period. Compare a brushpot of rectangular section in the Palace Museum, Beijing, enamelled in grisaille on two sides with scholars in a mountainous landscape and with two famille-rose panels of flower sprays painted in the 'boneless' style, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelains with Cloisonné Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 53.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, Hong Kong, 05 Oct 2011