Lot 1. An extremely rare dated and carved 'Longquan' celadon-glazed 'peony' vase, Dated Yongle 15th year, corresponding to 1417. Height 49 cm. Estimate 30,000 - 50,000 USD. Lot Sold 57,600 USD. © Sotheby's.

the rim incised with a seven-character inscription Yongle shiwunian fengfo, translating to 'respectively made for worshipping the Buddha, on the 15th year of Yongle (1417)'

Note: The present vase belongs to an important group of documentary celadon-glazed wares from the Longquan kilns, many of which were commissioned for Buddhist temples. Perhaps the most well-known example in this group is the large Yuan dynasty vase from the Percival David Collection, now in the British Museum, bearing an incised sixty-one character inscription to the rim indicating that it was commissioned to hold flowers before the Buddha in the Great Hall of Ritual at the Juelin Temple dated to the dingmao year of the Taiding period (corresponding to 1327), extensively published including in Margaret Medley, Illustrated Catalogue of Celadon Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1977, no. 81. A pair of temple vases, bearing inscriptions to the neck dating to the 7th year of Xuande (1432) are also known; the first, also in the Percival David Foundation, is illustrated in G.St.G.M. Gompertz, Chinese Celadon Wares, London, 1958, pl. 106; its pair, formerly in the Jack Chia Collection, was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 5th November 1996, lot 648.

Sotheby's. Chinese Art, New York, 18 September 2024