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Lot Essay
The distinctive shape of the mouth rim, which rises from an elongated neck, resembles the shape of a garlic bulb, and has been a popular design element during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The shape, probably modelled after archaic bronzes from the Eastern Zhou period, can be found on ritual bronze hu vases dated to the late Warring States period, 4th-3rd century BC, see Jenny So, Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, New York, 1995, no. 52. The underglaze blue decoration of the present vase is following designs from the Yongle and Xuande periods, showing individual fruiting branches dynamically placed on the porcelain surface. According to palace archival records, on Qianlong third year (1738), a ‘Xuande blue and white garlic-head vase’ was presented to Tang Ying, who was ordered to make copies and to return the Xuande vase to the palace after firing.
Suantouping with this design was also produced during the Yongzheng period and continued to be popular throughout the Qing dynasty. Compare to a Yongzheng vase, sold at Sotheby’s New York, 29 November 1978, lot 234. A Jiaqing period vase in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (III), Hong Kong, 2000, pl. 145; another sold at Christie’s New York, 26 March 2010, lot 1375.
Other examples from the Qianlong period includes one vase in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei (fig. 1), illustrated in Porcelain of the National Palace Museum. Blue and White Ware of the Ch’ ing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1968, vol. 2, pls. 5a-c; one vase in the Capital Museum, Beijing, published in Zhongguo gu taoci quanji [Complete series on Chinese ceramics], Shanghai, 1999-2000, vol. 15, pl. 8; in the Nanjing Museum, illustrated in Zhongguo Qingdai guanyao ciqi, Shanghai, 2003, p. 211; and in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated by Zhou Lili, Qingdai Yongzheng-Xuantong guanyao ciqi Shanghai, 2014, pl. 4-18.
Also compare to a vase from the collection of T.Y. Chao (1912-1999), sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 18 November 1986, lot 81, and again, 3 April 2019, lot 14, from the Tianminlou collection. Another vase was sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, Marchant – Fifty Qing Imperial Porcelains, 10 July 2020, lot 3112.
Suantouping with this design was also produced during the Yongzheng period and continued to be popular throughout the Qing dynasty. Compare to a Yongzheng vase, sold at Sotheby’s New York, 29 November 1978, lot 234. A Jiaqing period vase in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (III), Hong Kong, 2000, pl. 145; another sold at Christie’s New York, 26 March 2010, lot 1375.
Other examples from the Qianlong period includes one vase in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei (fig. 1), illustrated in Porcelain of the National Palace Museum. Blue and White Ware of the Ch’ ing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1968, vol. 2, pls. 5a-c; one vase in the Capital Museum, Beijing, published in Zhongguo gu taoci quanji [Complete series on Chinese ceramics], Shanghai, 1999-2000, vol. 15, pl. 8; in the Nanjing Museum, illustrated in Zhongguo Qingdai guanyao ciqi, Shanghai, 2003, p. 211; and in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated by Zhou Lili, Qingdai Yongzheng-Xuantong guanyao ciqi Shanghai, 2014, pl. 4-18.
Also compare to a vase from the collection of T.Y. Chao (1912-1999), sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 18 November 1986, lot 81, and again, 3 April 2019, lot 14, from the Tianminlou collection. Another vase was sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, Marchant – Fifty Qing Imperial Porcelains, 10 July 2020, lot 3112.