Lot 3664. A rare and large gilt-decorated doucai 'floral' baluster vase, Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795); 43.4 cm. Lot Sold 2,540,000 HKD (Estimate 2,000,000 - 3,000,000 HKD). © Sotheby's 2023

Provenance: An English private collection, by repute.
Bonhams London, 16th May 2013, lot 69.

Note: Doucai decoration, where the outline is drawn in underglaze blue and filled with washes of multi-coloured overglaze enamels, is derived from the cloisonne technique of the Ming period. The technique gained popularity with the Ming Emperor Chenghua (1465-87), resulting in the production of a wide range of prestigious porcelains of small size, including the highly esteemed chicken cups. During the Qing dynasty (1644-1911),the doucai colour scheme continued to be appreciated for its elegance and for its association with Chenghua porcelain, but only under the Qianlong Emperor were vessels of the massive size and complex decoration of the present vase created.

The present lot exemplifies the peak of the aesthetic and technical achievement of the Qianlong imperial kilns. It is notable for its impressive size, unusual shape, and the intricate floral-scrolls design in the doucai palette. The harmonious combination of all these elements undoubtedly required an extremely laborious and expensive production process.

The design of the connection between the shoulder and the neck of this vase is extremely rare. Compare a related Qianlong-period doucai vase with similar design of the neck-shoulder connection from the Qing court collection and still preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelains in Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 252.

The composition of the pictorial elements is, however, more commonly found on Qianlong porcelains of various shapes. See a smaller doucai vase from the Qing court collection with a smoother profile, also decorated with lotus scrolls, illustrated in ibid., pl. 255; see also a lobed vase in the Wang Xing Lou collection with comparable depiction of the lotus flower, illustrated in Imperial Perfection. The Palace Porcelain of Three Chinese Emperors. A Selection from the Wang Xing Lou Collection, Hong Kong, 2004, pl. 46; compare also a massive bottle vase decorated with floral scrolls in relevant style, and with related neck-shoulder design, previously in the collection of the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, New York, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30th May 2022, lot 2863.