JIAQING SIX-CHARACTER SEAL MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE AND OF THE PERIOD (1796-1820)

Double-gourd vases are also known as dajiping ‘vase of good fortune’, as the double-gourd, or bottle gourd, symbolises fertility and good fortune. Celadon-glazed double-gourd vases in this proportion first appeared during the Yongzheng period, such as the example sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, The Au Bak Ling Collection: The Inaugural Sale, 26 September 2024, lot 17. They gained popularity during the Qianlong reign, when greater quantities were produced. See a pair of Qianlong vases, still retaining their covers, illustrated in The Tsui Museum of Art. Chinese Ceramics IV, Hong Kong, 1995, no. 37; and one sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 May 2014, lot 3308. Jiaqing-marked examples are rarer compared to the Qianlong reign.