Lot 3564. A Pair of Small Guan-Type Vases, Seal Marks and Period of Qianlong (1736-1795). H 14.5cm. Sold for HKD 2,040,000 (Estimate HKD 800,000 - 1,200,000). © Poly Auction Hong Kong Limited 2022

The overall shape of the bottle is octagonal, with consistent lugs on each side and a slightly bulging abdomen, supported by a footrim. The interior and exterior of the bottle are glazed in imitation of the official's glaze, the glaze being a rich blue colour, with scattered openings on the surface.

Provenance: Meiyintang Collection, Switzerland.

Published: Kang Ruijun, The Maine Hall Collection of Chinese Ceramics, Volume 2, London, 1994-2010, p. 216, no. 874.

Note: The shape of the vase has its origins in ancient bronze wares and was first applied to porcelain at the official kilns of the Song dynasty. During the Qing dynasty, the vases were of various shapes, including round and square, and of different sizes. There are two common types of vase, for example, the small, 14-cm tall vase and the square, apricot-round vase, 30 to 40 cm tall.

According to the Tao Cheng Jiji, the imitation Ru-glazed wares were made in accordance with the Song dynasty wares issued by the Qing dynasty. "There are too many different kinds of glazes and quantities made at the factory to be able to list them all. The two pieces in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, are of similar shape and size, and are inscribed on the base of each piece with an imperial poem inscribed by the Qianlong emperor, in which the lines, 'A flower pin is better than a bottle of wine' and 'A fragrance is captured and carried for the purpose of reciting', indicate that they were intended for floral vessels, as can be seen in -The Tastes of the Qianlong Emperor in Ceramics, Taipei, 2012, pp. 188, 189, figs. 85 and 86.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version).

Poly Auction Hong Kong Limited. A Romance Among Blooming Roses: The Meiyintang Collection of Three Dynasties Imperial Ceramics, Hong Kong, 2 Dec 2021