Melon vase with 'Geyao' glaze, Yongzheng (1723-1735)

On the base is a six-character square seal in cobalt-blue underglaze 大清雍正年制 (made in the Yongzheng reign of the Qing dynasty).

Large delicately moulded vase in the form of a 'Melon Bottle' 瓜棱大瓶 covered all over with a thick, opaque pale-grey Geyao-style glaze with elegant crackle-work in grey or brown tones. The 'melon-bottle' form was one of the most common types in the Song dynasty, as was the Geyao glaze. This form is composed of convex and concave arcs that resemble the shape of a melon. In this case it is formed with four lobes, similar to a four-leaf clover, which, following the same shape from the base, expand to reach the shoulders, which in turn support a stylised bell-shaped neck and a rounded mouth. The end of the foot is flat and dark brown in colour. 

During the Qing dynasty the Jingdezhen kiln produced high quality enamelled pieces reminiscent of Song "Ge "仿哥釉 porcelain, not as a copy, but as a tribute to the traditions or heritage of the ancestors. The 哥窯 (Geyao) kiln was one of the five most famous kilns in the Song dynasty and throughout the ages they were remembered in the history of Chinese ceramics. The glazed ware known as 'Geyao' belongs to the celadon category because of the colour, which can vary from white, blue or green, but the most distinctive feature is the elegant grey-black or yellow-apricot crackle. 

Height: 66.50 cm; Mouth size: 23.30 x 23.40 cm; Base size: 22 x 22.40 cm

Weight: 24017 g 

References:

Sotheby's "Ceramiques Chinoises Provenant de deux Collections Europeennes", Paris, 12 June 2008, Lot 1048. Auction Price: $1.134 million.

Provenance:

European private collection. 

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