A CHINESE IMPERIAL UNDERGLAZE COPPER-RED WATERPOT, PINGGUO ZUN

SIX CHARACTER KANGXI MARK AND OF THE PERIOD 1662-1722

With an ovoid body gently tapering towards the foot, decorated with four stylised flower sprays of lotus, chrysanthemum, peony and hibiscus, the incurved rim encircled with scrolling leaves and lotus flowerhead bands between concentric blue bands, with a band of lappets between blue lines to the foot, 9.5cm.

Provenance: formerly from an English private collection, purchased from Sotheby's London, 19th February 1963, lot 43.

Cf. The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red, III, p.184, no.168, see also Kangxi Porcelain Wares from the Shanghai Museum Collection, p.109, no.72 for waterpots of this design.

Similar to the current example, apple-shaped waterpots belong to a class of wares produced during the Kangxi period for scholars' tables known as The Eight Great Numbers, badama. Cf. J Ayers, The Peachbloom Wares of the Kangxi Period (1662-1722), Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, vol.64, 1999-2000, pp.48-49.