A fine and rare flambe-glazed moonflask. Incised seal mark and period of Yongzheng. Photo Sotheby's

with a flat circular body comprised of two sides with central domed medallions, set with a cylindrical neck collared with a raised ring and a lipped rim, flanked by two archaistic scroll handles, all supported on a splayed oval foot, covered overall in a vibrant crimson glaze with the neck covered in a mottled milky blue glaze, streaking down the handles and revealing a mushroom-coloured glaze beneath, the interior glazed in a creamy light blue, the base covered in a glossy yellowish-brown wash with uneven patches of pale celadongreen glaze over the incised four-character reign mark; 33 cm., 13 in. Estimate 4,000,000-6,000,000 HKD

EXHIBITED: Kinesiska utställningen [Chinese exhibition], National Museum, Stockholm, 1928, cat. no. 455.
Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, The British Museum, London, 1994.
Evolution to Perfection. Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection/ Evolution vers la perfection. Céramiques de Chine de la Collection Meiyintang, Sporting d'Hiver, Monte Carlo, 1996, cat. no. 177.

LITERATURE: Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 2, no. 835.

NOTE: Flambé-glazed vessels are rarely of such large size as the present piece and this shape may be unique among pieces of this mottled glaze colour, which was apparently derived from attempts to recreate Song dynasty Jun glazes. On the present piece the two characteristic appearances of the Jun glaze, the milky blue tinged with a mushroom colour, and the bright purple with flecks of blue, have been brilliantly captured, although the whole vessel is a pure Yongzheng invention. 

The shape is inspired by an early Ming design which itself was based on an Islamic metal prototype; see John Alexander Pope, 'An Early Ming Porcelain in Muslim Style', in Richard Ettinghausen, ed., Aus der Welt der islamischen Kunst, Festschrift für Ernst Kühnel, Berlin, 1959, pp. 357-75

Sotheby's. The Meiyintang Collection, Part III - An Important Selection of Imperial Chinese Porcelains. Hong Kong | 04 Apr 2012, 10:15 AM www.sothebys.com