Lot Essay
The present vase appears to be unique in its shape and pattern. The shape of this vase is derived from Chenghua prototypes although the pronounced lip and spreading base are Qing variations. A Ming dynasty example in the Shanghai Museum is illustrated in Zhongguo Wenwu Jinghua Daquan, Ceramics, 1994, p. 386, fig. 741.
The solid lotus in profile on a foliate ground in the Chenghua style appears most frequently on cups and bowls of the period. A doucai cup is illustrated in A Legacy of Chenghua, The Jingdezhen Institute of Ceramic Archaeology and the Tsui Museum of Art, 1993, p. 279, no. C95. Blue and white bowls are illustrated ibid., p. 231, no. C71, and p. 245, no. C78. The style, though less defined, can be traced back to the earlier 15th century as exemplified by a vase from the Xuande period formerly in the Palmer Collection, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 17 January 1989, lot 572.
The solid lotus in profile on a foliate ground in the Chenghua style appears most frequently on cups and bowls of the period. A doucai cup is illustrated in A Legacy of Chenghua, The Jingdezhen Institute of Ceramic Archaeology and the Tsui Museum of Art, 1993, p. 279, no. C95. Blue and white bowls are illustrated ibid., p. 231, no. C71, and p. 245, no. C78. The style, though less defined, can be traced back to the earlier 15th century as exemplified by a vase from the Xuande period formerly in the Palmer Collection, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 17 January 1989, lot 572.