Lot 968. A famille rose 'Butterfly' vase, Guangxu six-character mark in iron red and of the period (1875-1908); 15 3/8 in. (39 cm.) high. Estimate $12,000 - USD 18,000. Price realised USD 43,750. © Christie's Images Ltd 2014
The vase is decorated with a multitude of colorful butterflies separated by a gilt-bordered band of lotus sprays and gilt xi (joy) characters on the shoulder, Japanese wood box.
Note: Butterflies are a symbol of happiness and also longevity.
Similar Guangxu-marked vases are illustrated in Imperial Porcelain of late Qing from the Kwan Collection, The Chinese University of Hong Kong Art Gallery, Hong Kong, 1983, p. 133, no. 140; by G. Avitabile, From the Dragons's Treasure: Chinese Porcelain from the 19th and 20th Centuries in the Weishaupt Collection, London, 1987, p. 91, no. 126; and by H.A. Van Oort, Chinese Porcleain of the 19th and 20th Centuries, the Netherlands, 1977, pl. 104. Compare, also, the vase sold at Christie's New York, 15-16 September 2011, lot 1654.
Christie's. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 18 – 19 September 2014, New York, Rockefeller Plaza
