A CHINESE ‘FAMILLE-ROSE’ CELADON GROUND PORCELAIN VASE, HU 哥釉粉彩繪鳳凰龍饕餮耳瓶 The pear-shaped body rising from a short spreading foot to a tall broad neck moulded with three bands of horizontal ribs, covered overall in a crackled celadon glaze and enamelled in-between the ribs with lotus lappet, phoenix, dragon and toatie bands, the rim and foot with key-fret and lotus lappet bands, apocryphal Qianlong seal mark in underglaze blue Height: 30cm Provenance: Formerly in a Spanish Private Collection, one of whose forbears was a diplomat in China The present lot is based on the archaic bronze hu form with gui dragon, taotie, upright lappet and key-fret bands reserved against a crackled celadon ground, imitating a green patina of ancient metalwork of the Shang and Zhou periods. No simulated bronze vase of this shape and with this type of famille-rose decoration appears to be recorded. For a similarly inspired vase of the Qianlong reign, see Masterpieces of Qing Imperial Porcelain from J. T. Tai & Co., Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 7th October 2010, lot 2128 Condition Report The vase has a restored hole to the base where it was drilled through the mark, and there is a circa 4 x 2mm glaze pull to the top edge of the rim.