A GILT-DECORATED BLUE-GROUND FAMILLE ROSE FOUR SEASONS VASE, CHINA, LATE QING TO REPUBLIC PERIOD

A GILT-DECORATED BLUE-GROUND FAMILLE ROSE 'FOUR SEASONS' VASE, CHINA, LATE QING TO REPUBLIC PERIOD
Of square-sectioned lantern form with tapered shoulders and base, the sides with rectangular panels each decorated with one of the four seasons, bordered by scrolling gilt florals on a powder-blue background, lotus motifs on the shoulders and a key-fret band around the rim and base. The interior and base enameled with a turquoise ground.
Provenance:
Boston trade.
Condition:
Very good condition with minor wear and minimal firing irregularities, the gilt occasionally worn on the rim and edges as expected. The enamels well preserved, with areas of microscopic crackling as expected, the colors still bright and crisp.
Weight: 1,678 g
Dimensions: Height 28.3 cm
The recessed base with an apocryphal iron-red six-character seal mark
da Qing Qianlong nianzhi
.
Expert's note
: This design was created by the Imperial workshops in Beijing around 1750 and became so popular at the court that it was copied many times during the Qianlong, Jiaqing and Daoguang dynasties, all throughout the late 19th century and even well into the Minguo era. The present lot, however, shows a quality of enameling that comes rather close to the original model, thus indicating a date from ca. 1820-1880 or even a bit earlier.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 3 June 2015, lot 3150
Price: HKD 3,880,000 or approx.
EUR 541,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-decorated blue-ground famille rose square-section 'landscape' vase, Qianlong six-character seal mark in iron red within a square and of the period
Expert remark: Note the slightly smaller size (26.7 cm) and that this vase is the prototype for the present lot, dating from the Qianlong period.