Lot 1378. A rare blue and white molded double-gourd vase, Kangxi period (1662-1722); 17 1/8 in. (43.4 cm.) high. Estimate USD 20,000 - USD 30,000. Price realised USD 27,500. © Christie's Image Ltd 2013. 

Well painted in bright shades of underglaze blue, the lower bulb is decorated with six scenes of animals including a monkey, a buck deer, rams, and a lion, all within mountainous landscapes and within petal-shaped key-fret borders separated by flower heads above and various decorative borders below. The upper bulb is decorated with four scenes of birds within similar borders, and the long neck with vertical floral sprays and a variety of trees. The base is decorated with a lingzhi mark within a double circle.

Provenance: The Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut.
Imperial Oriental Art, New York, November 1999.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, New York, 19 - 20 September 2013