Vase archaisant en porcelaine émaillée blanc à décor oulé. Chine, Dynastie Qing, marque et époque Jiaqing (1796-1820). Photo Sotheby's

A white-glazed soft-paste porcelain vase with moulded design, China, Qing Dynasty, Jiaqing seal mark and period (1796-1820) 

de forme balustre aplatie sous un long col évasé agrémenté d'anses ajourées figurant des phénix stylisés, la panse délicatement décorée de dragons archaïques kui et chauvessouris dans des entrelacs géométriques, l'épaulement agrémenté de têtes de ruyi et frise de grecques, le col de rinceaux feuillagés stylisés sous une frise de ruyi, le pied habillé d'une bande de pétales stylisés, harmonieusement recouvert d'une belle glaçure transparente brillante, marque en cachet à six caractères à la base; 30 cm, 11 7/8 in. Lot 71. Estimate 35,000-45,000 EUR

CATALOGUE NOTE: Soft-paste porcelain, which first appeared during the reign of the Kangxi emperor, was an innovation and improvement in the decorative techniques of the Qing potter. Suzanne Valenstein notes that a new material called huashi was used, replacing kaolin, in the making of these original wares, see Suzanne G. Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989, p. 242. pl. 268. Fired at a low temperature to prevent warping and to allow the creation of a rich creamy tone glaze, soft-paste porcelain was used for making both contemporary pieces as well as objects imitating the celebrated Song dynasty 'Ding' wares, see The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1999, pls. 239-241.

It is rare to find soft paste vessels with imperial reign marks, although a few earlier vases are known, such as the pair of vases with moulded flower decoration, bearing Qianlong reign marks on their base, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8 th April 2007, lot 725; another Qianlong hu-form vase is included in Suzanne G. Valenstein, op.cit. 289, pl. 268, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; one of bronze form in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in Zhongguo taoci quanji, vol. 15, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 112; and a baluster vase with handles, the decoration similarly inspired by archaic bronze designs sold in these rooms, 12th June 2008, lot 325. The form of the present vase is based on Qianlong period vases of this shape such as an example with gilt-painted decoration in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated in Zhongguo taoci quanji, op.cit., pl. 81.

Sotheby's. Arts d'Asie? Paris | 13 Jun 2012 www.sothebys.com