A 'Famille-Verte'  Rouleau Vase.  Qing dynasty, Kangxi period. Photo Sotheby's

finely painted around the sides with a continuous court scene depicting a general and his wife seated in front of a large ornamental screen painted with turbulent waves and rockyoutcrops, flanked by attendants before an audience of officials and ten boys surrounding a table lain with hu tablets, framed above by a ruyi-head border, the shoulder with four shaped cartouches enclosing river landscapes reserved against a diaper ground, the cylindrical neck painted with four rectangular landscape panels divided by writhing chilong, with chevron and cloud scrolls above; 44.8cm., 17 5/8 in. Estimate 30,000-50,000 GBP. Unsold

NOTE: The elaborate court scene appears to represent the eightieth birthday celebrations of the Tang Dynasty General Guo Ziyi (AD 697-781). Compare a Kangxi period famille verte vase painted with a variation of this scene in the Metropolitan Museum, New York, accession number 14.40.335.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Londres | 09 Nov 2011 www.sothebys.com