Lot 1865. A peachbloom-glazed water pot, taibai zun, Kangxi six-character mark and of the period (1662-1722); 5 in. (12.7 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 600,000 - HKD 800,000. Price realised HKD 1,220,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2010

The domed body incised with three dragon roundels visible beneath the rich rose-pink peachbloom glaze, generously mottled with areas of crushed strawberry tone with areas of pale green speckling, shading to a dark greyish-rose tone at the neck below the white-glazed mouth rim, the base and interior with a transparent glaze, wood stand.

Provenance: The David A. Berg Collection, New York
Previously sold at Christie's New York, 21 September 2000, lot 385, to benefit the Harvard University Art Museum, Boston.

Note: Waterpots of this form are known as taibai zun, after the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai, who is often depicted leaning against a large wine jar of similar form. They are also known as qizhao zun because their shape resembles that of a chicken coop. Such waterpots belong to the group of eight peachbloom wares, the 'Eight Great Numbers', ba da ma, of which a complete set is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, illustrated by S. Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989 (rev. ed.), p. 237. Another complete set of eight from the Jingguantang Collection was sold in at Christie's Hong Kong, 3 November 1996, lot 557.

Similar waterpots can be found in many important collections including the Palace Museum, Beijing, and the Percival David Foundation, London.