China, 18^th-19^th century. Of compressed globular form with a short straight neck, painted in underglaze blue and copper red, the neck encircled by a ruyi shaped border, the shoulders with a ring of ten stylized bats above a diapered floral band, surrounded by a dense pattern of red dots, the lower half with four stylized lotus flowerheads amid scrolling vines. The recessed base with a single-line circle in underglaze blue against a creamy-white crackled ground.

With a finely carved wood stand and an elegantly curved bronze spoon showing an open worked and cloud-shaped terminal, all most likely dating from the same period and therefore a rare set. (3)

Provenance: From the collection of David and Diane Buck, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. The base with an old collector’s label inscribed ‘Buck’. Prof. Emeritus David Douglas Buck (born 1936) is an American scholar of Chinese history who worked as a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee from 1972 until his retirement. He received his PhD from Stanford University and has written several books on Chinese history, including “Urban Change in China: Politics and Development in Tsianan Shantung 1890-1949”.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and manufacturing flaws, including pitting and dark spots, the base with minuscule nicks and light surface scratches. The wood stand with some wear, few nicks, and a minor old repair to one foot. The bronze spoon in superb condition with a fine patina overall.

Weight: 121.3 g (excl. base and spoon), 174.7 g (total)
Dimensions: Diameter 9.2 cm

Literature comparison:
Compare a remotely related Yongzheng-marked ruby-red glass waterpot with a related curved metal spoon terminating in a dragon head at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 2 May 2005, lot 549.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Remotely related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 November 2012, lot 2403
Price: HKD 400,000 or approx. EUR 64,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A carved white jade water pot and metal spoon, Qing dynasty, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the related form and bat motif of the water pot, and related curved metal spoon. Note the different size (5.2 cm) and that the water pot is carved from white jade.



清代青花釉裏紅纏枝蓮紋蝙蝠水丞
中國，十八至十九世紀。短直頸，鼓腹，圈足。青花釉裏紅，頸圍青花如意紋帶，肩部一圈釉裏紅點為地，由十隻蝙蝠組成的紋飾；腹部以上為一圈菱形花紋飾帶，腹部以下纏枝蓮紋。圈足内藍花單圈。相配的銅勺和木底座。

來源：美國威斯康星州密爾沃基David 與Diane Buck收藏。底部有收藏標籤，上寫“Buck”字樣。Emeritus David Douglas Buck (出生於1936) 教授是一位美國中國歷史學者，1972 年至退休，一直在威斯康星大學密爾沃基分校擔任教授。他在斯坦福大學獲得博士學位，並撰寫了多本關於中國歷史的書籍，包括《Urban Change in China: Politics and Development in Tsianan Shantung 1890-1949”》（中國的城市變遷：1890-1949 年山東天安的政治與發展）。
品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損和製造缺陷，包含點時和黑點，底座有微小的刻痕和輕微的表面劃痕。木架有一些磨損和刻痕，一隻腳有輕微的修理。銅勺狀況極佳，整體帶有細膩包漿。

重量：121.3 克 (不含底座和小勺)，總174.7 克
尺寸：直徑9.2 厘米

文獻比較：
比較一件稍微相近雍正款寶石紅水丞，有相近的龍首金屬小勺，見香港蘇富比，2005年5月2日，lot 549。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：稍微相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2012年11月28，lot 2403
價格：HKD 400,000（相當於今日EUR 64,500）
描述：清十八世紀白玉雕蝠紋桃形水丞及金屬龍首勺
專家評論：比較相近的外型、蝙蝠主題和相配的金屬小勺。請注意尺寸不同 (5.2 厘米) ，以及此水丞為白玉雕。