QIANLONG SIX-CHARACTER SEAL MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE AND OF THE PERIOD (1736-1795)

Vessels of this type, with a top pierced with circular apertures, could have been used to hold either incense sticks or flowers. A similar example, of larger size (16.9 cm.), bearing a Yongzheng seal mark, is illustrated in Shimmering Colours: Monochromes of the Yuan to Qing Periods, The Zhuyuetang Collection, Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005, p. 149, no. 78. The barrel shape and the celadon glaze of the present and Zhuyuetang vessels are more usually found on jars of a size similar to the Zhuyuetang holder, such as the Qianlong-marked jar from the Robert Chang Collection sold at Christie's New York, 16 October 2001, lot 390.