Lot 2076. A pair of lime-green ground famille-rose vases, gu, seal marks and period of Daoguang (1821-1850); 42.5 cm, 16 3/4 in. Estimate 600,000 — 800,000 HKD ( 57,843 — 77,125 EUR). Lot Sold 980,000 HKD (94,478 EUR). Courtesy Sotheby's. 

each of archaistic gu form, the central globular body supported on a bell-shaped foot surmounted by a widely flaring trumpet neck, brightly and finely painted around the body with bajixiang amid large lotus blooms on dense scrolling leafy stems, between stiff plantain leaves and key-fret bands, with ruyi heads around the mouth with gilt rim, all reserved on a lime-green ground, the interior and the underside glazed turquoise, the base of the neck inscribed with a six-character reign mark in iron-red.

Note: These vases are impressive for their large size and no other closely related example appears to have been published. A pair of smaller Daoguang vases of this type is published in the Illustrated Catalogue of Tokyo National Museum. Chinese Ceramics II, Tokyo, 1990, pl. 678; and a Jiaqing mark and period example was sold in these rooms, 25th October 2005, lot 440.

Gu vases of this form and decoration were made as part of a set of altar garnitures; see a similarly decorated five-piece garniture of smaller dimensions comprised of two gu vases, two candlesticks and one censer, also with Daoguang seal marks and of the period, sold in these rooms, 31st October 1995, lot 536, and again in our London rooms, 17th December 1996, lot 163; and another garniture sold at Christie's New York, 1st December 1983, lot 525. Compare also a Daoguang mark and period garniture of this size, and decorated in underglaze blue, sold in our Paris rooms, 10th December 2010, lot 202.