A RU-TYPE MALLET VASE, YONGZHENG MARK AND PERIOD
China, 1723-1735. Superbly potted, the gently flared cylindrical body encircled below the rounded shoulder by a raised bowstring, surmounted by a tall, slender waisted neck with a cup-shaped mouth, flanked on each side by zoomorphic handles with neatly incised eyes and mouths. Covered overall in a perfectly even and lustrous greenish-blue glaze, save for the foot rim which reveals the white ware, partially covered in a brown wash. The base with an underglaze-blue four-character seal mark Yongzheng nianzhi and of the period.


Provenance:
From a noted private collection in New York, USA.

Condition:
Superb condition with only minor wear and minimal firing irregularities.

Weight: 408.5 g
Dimensions: Height 16.8 cm


This rare vase is remarkable for its subtle bluish glaze
, the purity of which accentuates the graceful curves of its profile. Created in imitation of the celebrated Ru-wares of the Song period, this vase reflects the Yongzheng Emperor's penchant for these early wares and the remarkable technical developments achieved at the Imperial kilns made to meet the specific taste of the emperor. While a delicate celadon glaze had already been developed in the Kangxi reign, it was during the Yongzheng period that the production of glazes imitating Song dynasty Ru and Guan wares greatly expanded. According to the 1732 edition of the Jiangxi Tongzhi (Jiangxi provincial gazetteer), compiled by Xie Min, governor of Jiangxi Province between 1729 and 1732, two different types of Ru-type glazes were developed, one displaying a subtle network of crackles and the other of even tone; see S. W. Bushell, Oriental Ceramic Art, London, 1981, page 195.


Literature comparison:

Compare two related vases in the Baur Collection, Geneva, illustrated in John Ayers, The Baur Collection, vol. III, Geneva, 1972, pl. A361 for a Yongzheng-marked vase of similar size but lacking handles and pl. A341 for a Qianlong-marked vase with handles. Compare a vase of this form with a flambé glaze in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Monochrome Porcelains of the Ch'ing Dynasty, 1970, no. 20.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Near-identical
Auction: Christie's Paris, 23 June 2020, lot 128
Price: EUR 37,500 or approx.
EUR 45,000
adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Petit vase en porcelaine celadon de type Ru, Chine, Dynastie Qing, possiblement epoque Yongzheng (1723-1735)
Expert remark: Compare the identical form and reign mark, the similar greenish-blue ‘celadon’ glaze, and the near-identical foot rim, also covered partially in brown wash. Note the smaller size (13 cm).


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams London, 3 November 2022, lot 8
Price: GBP 53,220 or approx.
EUR 64,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A very rare ru-type vase, yongzheng seal mark and of the period
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, reign mark, sky-blue glaze, and size (12.8 cm).


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s Paris, 22 November 2005, lot 174
Price: EUR 156,000 or approx.
EUR 208,000
adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A fine and rare ru-type vase, Yongzheng four-character seal mark and of the period
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, sky-blue glaze, and reign mark. Note the much larger size (27.5 cm).




雍正款及年代仿汝釉雙耳瓶

中國, 1723-1735年。瓶小盤口，直頸，折肩，肩部一條弦狀紋，直腹，圈足。頸部兩側各置一獸形耳，可辨眼睛與嘴。灰白色胎，通體施青釉，釉面開片紋。圈足露胎，局部成橙色。圈足内青花“雍正年製”四字篆書款。


來源：
美國紐約知名私人收藏。

品相：
狀況極佳，只有輕微磨損和極少的燒製不規則現象。

重量：408.5 克
尺寸：高 16.8 厘米


這件花瓶青釉釉色十分純淨
，更加突出了其優雅曲線。此瓶仿宋代著名汝瓷而製，反映了雍正皇帝對這些早期瓷器的喜愛，以及御窯為滿足皇帝的品味而取得的顯著技術發展。康熙年間青釉色已較精緻，而到了雍正時期，仿宋汝窯、官窯釉料的生產才大大擴展。 根據1729 年至1732 年間江西巡撫謝敏編撰的1732 年版《江西通志》，已開發出兩種不同類型的汝窯釉，一種顯示出微妙的裂紋開片，另一種則呈現出微妙的均勻釉色；參見 S. W. Bushell，《東方陶瓷藝術》，倫敦，1981 年，第 195 頁。


文獻比較：


比較兩件相近的雙耳瓶 ，皆收藏於日內瓦Baur Collection，見John Ayers，《The Baur Collection》，卷三，日內瓦，1972年，圖A361雍正款無耳瓶 ，以及圖A341乾隆款雙耳瓶。比較一件相似外形的窯變釉瓶， 收藏於台北故宮博物館，見《Monochrome Porcelains of the Ch'ing Dynasty》，1970年，編號20。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：幾乎相同
拍賣：巴黎佳士得，2020年6月23日，lot 128
價格：EUR 37,500（相當於今日
EUR 45,000
）
描述：可能為清雍正或更晚仿汝釉雙耳小瓶「雍正年製 」四字篆書款
專家評論：比較相同的外形、年代款、相似的的青藍色“青瓷”釉，以及幾乎相同的足緣，部分覆蓋著棕色。請注意尺寸較小 (13 釐米)。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：倫敦邦瀚斯，2022年11月3日，lot 8
價格：GBP 53,220（相當於今日
EUR 64,500
）
描述：清雍正仿汝小瓶
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、年代款、天藍色釉面和尺寸 (12.8 釐米)。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：巴黎佳士得，2005年11月22日，lot 174
價格：EUR 156,000（相當於今日
EUR 208,000
）
描述：雍正四字款及年代仿汝窯雙耳瓶
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、年代款、天藍色釉面。請注意尺寸較大 (27.5 釐米)。