A Chinese blue and white ‘Zhong Kui' inscribed bottle vase, early Kangxi period,painted with Zhong Kui holding a sword while riding a mythical beast, leading a demon holding a plum blossom branch, between rockwork and the inscription ‘Fú cóng tian jäng xi yöu qí lái' (Fortunees from heaven, happiness has no age limit), the neck with zigzag border, the base with four character mark ‘shi jin tang zhi' (Hall of the Splendid Tapestry of Generations), 22.8cm high,cf. similar depictions of Zhong Kui found on a scroll painting dated 1650, by Lu Xue, accession No.1910,0212,0.520 and on a Suzhou woodblock colour print dated to the Kangxi period, accession No.1964,0411,0.10, both in the British Museum.Dimensions: hairline cracks to neck and inside edge of foot