of finely potted baluster form rising to a short waisted neck with an everted lip, the body well painted in classic contrasting tones of dark cobalt-blue with a scrolling meander of leafy stems, millet, lotus blooms and buds, between double line borders, the foot encircled with a band of seven lotus sprays, the shoulder with a scrolling leafy meander, all within double line borders

The vase has several long cracks around necks extender from the shoulder to the lower body,all restored with associated over painting and over-spraying, and it is still visible to the interior. There are also some touch up on the mouth rim.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Blue and white porcelains of the Yongle period (r. 1403-24) rank among the finest in the history of Chinese ceramics and their designs provided inspiration throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties. The present meiping, with its harmonious combination of foliate scrolls with lotus blooms gracefully draped over an elegant form, exemplifies the style and taste of early Ming imperial porcelain. Closely related meiping can be found in important museum collections worldwide; see one from the Qing Court Collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (I), Hong Kong, 2008, pl. 32; one with a cover in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Museum’s exhibition Shi yu xin: Mingdai Yongle huangdi de ciqi/ Pleasingly Pure and Lustrous. Porcelains from the Yongle Reign (1403-1424) of the Ming Dynasty, 2017, cat. no. 52;  another in the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, exhibited in Seika jiki ten [Exhibition of blue and white porcelain from the Shanghai Museum], Matsuya Ginza, Tokyo, 1988, cat. no. 10; and a fourth vase in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., illustrated in Oriental Ceramics, The World's Great Collections, vol. 9, Tokyo, 1981, pl. 92. Further vases include one sold in these rooms, 1^st April 1974, lot 192 and twice in our Hong Kong rooms, 29^th November 1977, lot 23 and 18^th November 1986, lot 42, from the T. Y. Chao collection; and another also sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 10^th April 2006, lot 1658.