The body skilfully painted in exceptionally vivid underglaze blue with a continuous scene of a visitor supplicating a dignitary seated in his hall surrounded by ladies and attendants in front of a painting of foaming waves, the hall opening onto a terrace with further dignitaries, craggy rockwork and delicate trees, the flaring neck with a lady peeping out at a dignitary admonishing a maidservant over a spilt cup of tea, with two boys looking on and two more on the terrace with lanterns. 44.8cm (17 5/8in) high. 

Provenance: a British private collection
Sold in these rooms on 15 May 2014, lot 55

Notes: The story of the spilt cup refers to a famous episode in history which even became a proverb: 'spilt water can't be gathered up' (覆水難收). According to legend, when Jiang Ziya became a poor hermit fisherman to avoid service to the tyrannical last ruler of the Shang dynasty, his wife despaired at their poverty and so left him. When Jiang Ziya was employed by the Zhou dynasty in overthrowing the Shang, he was ennobled as a Duke and became wealthy and powerful again. His former wife hearing of his elevated status then pleaded to come back and become his wife again, whereupon Jiang Ziya threw a pot of water on the ground and asked her to put the water back in. He scolded her by saying that being together after she left him would be like trying to put water back into a broken pot.

Compare with a similar blue and white phoenix-tail vase, with the same decoration of a spilt cup, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong on 30 November 2011, lot 2950.

A blue and white gu-shaped beaker vase, Kangxi six-character mark within double-circles and of the period (1662-1722). Estimate HK$250,000 - HKD 350,000 ($33,000 - USD 45,000). Price Realized HK$500,000 ($64,488) at Christie's Hong Kong on 30 November 2011, lot 2950. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2011

The trumpet neck finely painted with a scene of a lady kneeling before a dignitary, with his two attendants beside him, while a second lady peeps out from behind a large screen, the bulbous waist encircled by a scene of boys at play above the scene of the dignitary leaving the house with his attendants; 17 in. (43.4 cm.) high, stand, box 

The property of Dr Elizabeth Shing.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, 10 november 2016, 10:30 GMT, LONDON, NEW BOND STREET