Lot 686.  A famille-verte bottle vase, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate 6,000 — 8,000 USD. Lot sold 8,125 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.  

of globular form rising to a tall cylindrical neck and lipped rim, with stylized floral medallions borne on leafy scrolls, the shoulder with alternating flower heads on an aubergine stippled ground, the neck with further stylized floral meander and surmounted by a diaper cell band, the base with an underglaze blue 'G' mark. Height 9 3/4  in., 24.8 cm

Provenance: Ralph M. Chait Galleries, New York, 1990s.  

Note: The origin of the mark on the base remains a matter of conjecture among scholars. It has long been assumed that it stands for the Latin letter G and perhaps the initial of the Westerner who commissioned the group. However, if repositioned 90 degrees, the character may be interpreted as the Persian letter ye, raising the possibility that the group was made for a Persian or Mughal Indian client. For further discussion see Daniel Suebsman and Daniela Antonin, Kangxi Porcelain Treasures of the Kangxi Period, Hetjens Deutsches Keramikmuseum, Dusseldorf, 2016, cat. no. 148.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art New York, 15 Mar 2017