the compressed globular body rising from a straight foot to a wide trumpet neck with lipped rim, set atop with four loop handles, the shoulder and foot encircled by bands of moulded overlapping lappets, covered overall in a pale celadon glaze pooling at the recesses, the base inscribed with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 9th November 1982, lot 230.
Christie's Hong Kong, 27th April 1997, lot 722.

There is a faint glaze crackle around the bottom of one loop and minor retouching to possible glaze flakes of another two. There is light wear to small sections of the rim which have been lightly polished.
"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."

This vase exudes an air of serene elegance through its luminous celadon glaze and seemingly simple form. It encapsulates the Yongzheng Emperor’s admiration for celebrated wares of the past and his penchant for contemporary designs, which resulted in a piece that is both familiar and innovative. While its form derives from archaic bronze wine vessels, zun, the bands of moulded chrysanthemum petals on the neck, shoulder and above the foot were an innovation of the Yongzheng reign. A symbol of autumn and of the 9th month of the year, the chrysanthemum flower provided much inspiration to potters and craftsmen from as early as the Song dynasty (960-1279). Bands of moulded chrysanthemum petals are known on vases of the preceding Kangxi reign (r. 1662-1722), although on these wares they are ubiquitously found above the foot. The Yongzheng Emperor must have found this motif particularly appealing, as evidenced by the numerous porcelain wares that feature this design. Hajni Elias in ‘In the path of Tao Qian: “Chrysanthemum” wares of the Yongzheng emperor’, Arts of Asia, May-June 2015, pp. 72-85, discusses these wares and suggests that they may reveal the Emperor’s admiration for Tao Qian (365-427), one of China’s most famous poets. Having retired from his official position in 405, Tao Qian’s humble and modest life in tune with nature embodied the Daoist ideal of retirement that resonated not only among scholar-officials but also with the Yongzheng Emperor, who was a devout Daoist.

The small loop handles on the interior of the mouth make this piece unusual and suggest it may have been used as a hanging basket. While no other closely related example appears to have been published, a line drawing of a vase of this type but from the Qianlong period, is illustrated in Geng Baochang, Ming Qing ciqi jianding [Appraisal of Ming and Qing porcelain], Hong Kong, 1993, pl. 452, no. 3.