A fine Famille-rose sgraffiato-ground ‘Chrysanthemum and Peony’ vase, Qianlong seal mark and period. Photo Sotheby's

elegantly potted, the slender tapering body gently rising to a straight neck, the exterior brightly painted in various tones of pink, iron-red, green, lime-green, lemon-yellow, blue, brown and white, depicting two butterflies in flight amongst leafy branches bearing large blooms of peony, chrysanthemum and pink, all reserved on an opaque white ground finely incised with feathery scrollwork, the rim and foot gilt, covered to the interior and base with a turquoise glaze, the base inscribed with a six-character seal mark in underglaze-blue within a square cartouche reserved in white - 27.7cm., 10 7/8 in. Estimation 200,000 — 300,000 GBP

Exquisitely painted with peony and chrysanthemum branches in full bloom, the delicacy of the present vase is further accentuated by the sgraffiato scrolling tendrils that cover the white ground. This piece represents the Qianlong emperor’s keen interest in ceramic production and his taste for taking and developing upon celebrated designs and forms to result in innovative pieces that demanded the highest level of workmanship. Only two vases of this type appear to be known, both sold at Christie’s, the first in New York, 3rd June 1988, lot 314A, and the other in London, 26th November 1974, lot 207. For the possible inspiration to this piece, see a Yongzheng mark and period vase of similar form, but with a coral-ground and tubular handles, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelains with Cloisonné Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 77.

The floral motif depicted on this vase first appeared on porcelain during the Yongzheng period, made possible through the introduction of white enamel which opened up the possibility of creating a new spectrum of pastel colours. In turn, the painting style of the chrysanthemum and peonies was inspired by the flower paintings of one of China’s most celebrated artists, Yun Shouping (1633-1690). Yun, also known as Nantian, was one of the Six Masters of the early Qing period who were generally associated with paintings of flowers in the mogu, or ‘boneless’, style that emphasised washes instead of lines. Yun’s unique manner of painting allowed him to bring out the distinct beauty of the flowers, making them appear vivid and bright. He introduced the use of strong, bold colours, such as reds, purples and greens, traditionally considered flashy, to help revive flower painting in China. Yongzheng and Qianlong’s fondness for Yun’s work resulted in the copying of his paintings on ceramics to result in vibrant, elegant designs. See a painting by Yun, depicting peony and chrysanthemum blooms, from his Shan shui hu hui ce [Album of mountains, waters, flowers and grasses], illustrated in Lu Chenglong, ‘Yongzheng yuyao ciqi gaishu [A Brief Account of Yongzheng Period Imperial Porcelain]’, Gugong bowuyuan bashi huadan gu taoci guoji xueshu yantaohui lunwen ji, Beijing, 2007, p. 212, fig. 26.

By depicting a Yongzheng design on a sgraffiato ground, the Qianlong Emperor’s personal touch was added to the present vase. The sgraffiato technique was first included in the repertoire of the Jingdezhen potters during the Qianlong period and was reserved for decorating notable pieces. Compare a tianqiuping similarly decorated with flowering branches on a white sgraffiato ground, with an iron-red Qianlong reign mark and of the period, sold at Christie’s London, 17th June 2003, lot 34. It is uncommon for white-ground vessels to be decorated in sgraffiato, which was normally reserved for wares with colour grounds to allow the white body to show through; for example see a number of sgraffiato-ground vessels enamelled in different colour schemes, from the Qing Court collection and now in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Museum’s exhibition Stunning Decorative Porcelains from the Ch’ien-lung Reign, Taipei, 2008, such as a cup and tray set in yangcai enamels with incised pattern on a lemon-yellow ground surrounding panels of landscapes, ibid., cat. no. 7; and a ruby-ground vase adorned with scrolling flowers, cat. no. 42. When white-ground vases were decorated with scrolling tendrils, they were more commonly painted to the surface; see a vase with a gilt-painted scroll ground also included ibid., cat. no. 46. The introduction to the catalogue notes that such this decorative technique was inspired by brocades (see p. 37).

Vases of various forms painted with related designs of blossoming branches, with Qianlong reign marks and of the period, include a meiping sold twice in our Hong Kong rooms, 12th/13th May 1976, lot 280, and again, 18th May 1988, lot 277; and an ovoid vase with angled shoulders and long cylindrical neck, also sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 1st November 1994, lot 191. For the Yongzheng prototype of the design, see a baluster vase, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, op. cit., pl. 46.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. London, 14 mai 2014 - www.sothebys.com