A fine and rare doucai 'dragon' jar. Yongzheng six-character mark within double-circles and of the period (1723-1735)

A fine and rare doucai 'dragon' jar. Yongzheng six-character mark within double-circles and of the period (1723-1735). Photo: Christie's Images Ltd. 2011

The ovoid body finely pencilled and enamelled with five ascending and descending 'dragon' medallions, each picked out in a different tone, framed at the corners with highly stylised lotus-flower spandrels, between a stiff lotus petal border around the base and the Eight Buddhist Emblems, bajixiang, around the shoulder between ruyi-head bands, enamelled in tones of green, yellow, aubergine and iron-red; 7 1/2 in. (19 cm.) high, Japanese wood box. Estimate HK$1,200,000 - HK$1,800,000 ($154,972 - $232,458. Price Realized HK$4,580,000 ($591,479)

Provenance : A Japanese private collection acquired in the 1980's from Hirano Kotoken

Notes: Compare with the example in the British Museum illustrated in Sekai Toji Zenshu, Shogakukan Series, vol. 15, pl. 195; another is illustrated by W.G. Gulland, Chinese Porcelain, 1911, vol. II, pls. 670-671. An identical jar is illustrated in The Tsui Museum of Art, Chinese Ceramics, vol. IV, pl. 138; subsequently sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 3 November 1996, lot 581. Two other examples from the Estate of Geraldine S. Violett were sold at Sotheby's New York, 30 May 1990, lots 179 and 180. Another example from the E.T. Chow Collection was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 19 May 1981, lot 551, and again, 30 April 1996, lot 487. The design continued into following reign periods in the Qing dynasty as evidenced by two covered jars in the Palace Museum, Beijing, one bearing a Qianlong mark, the other a Daoguang mark, illustrated in Porcelains in Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1999, nos. 238 and 264

Christie's. The Imperial Sale,  1 June 2011 , Convention Hall www.chisties.com