China, 1775-1875. Well potted with a compressed globular body rising from a short foot to a wide flaring neck. Overall painted with a composite floral scroll below pendent ruyi heads, all divided by a key-fret border encircling the shoulder and a classic scroll band around the foot. The recessed base with an underglaze-blue six-character seal mark da Qing Qianlong nianzhi.

Provenance: The collection of Sir Mark Heath and thence by descent within the same family. An old collector’s label ‘M. E. Heath Collection’ as well as a hand-inscribed label ‘Lotus-scroll in heaped + piled transitional style’ to base. Sir Mark Evelyn Heath KCVO CMG (1927-2005) was a British diplomat who served as the United Kingdom’s first Ambassador to the Holy See between 1982 and 1985. His appointment represented the resumption of full diplomatic relations between Britain and the Holy See for the first time since Henry VIII’s break with the Catholic Church in 1534. After leaving the Vatican, Sir Mark became Head of Protocol for the Hong Kong Government. During this time he developed a passion for Chinese works of art.
Condition: Very good condition with minor old wear and minimal firing irregularities. The mouth rim with a small glaze recess and associated old fill which has turned yellow, well visible on additional photos on www.zacke.at.

Weight: 206.0 g
Dimensions: Height 8.3 cm, Width 8.9 cm (at the widest points)

Smaller zhadou vessels, such as the present lot, were used as slop jars rather than floor spittoons. When making tea, cups and teapots are rinsed in boiling water to cleanse and warm them. Such water would be jettisoned into a zhadou along with tea dregs and other related waste.

Auction result comparison: Compare a related blue and white zhadou of closely related size as well as similar form and design, with a Qianlong seal mark, at Christie’s Hong Kong, in Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 30 November 2011, lot 2954, sold for HKD 1,100,000. Compare also a related blue and white zhadou of similar size, form, and design, but with a Daoguang seal mark, at Christie’s New York, in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 15 September 2011, lot 1527, sold for USD 122,500 (for a pair).

清代青花纏枝蓮如意紋小渣斗
中國，1775-1875年。此渣斗喇叭形口，腹部圓鼓，圈足外撇。通體施白釉，釉面光潔瑩潤。外壁以青花裝飾，口沿飾如意云頭紋，主體繪纏枝蓮紋。底部青花書“大清乾隆年製”六字篆書款。

來源：Mark Heath 爵士收藏，保存在同一家族至今，底部可見老藏家收藏標籤 “M. E. Heath Collection” 以及手寫的標簽 “Lotus-scroll in heaped + piled transitional style”。Mark Evelyn Heath KCVO CMG 爵士(1927-2005) 曾是英國外交官，1982 年至 1985 年期間擔任英國首任駐羅馬教廷大使。他的任命標誌著英國與羅馬教廷自亨利八世於 1534 年與天主教會決裂以后首次全面恢復外交關係。離開梵蒂岡後，Mark Heath爵士成為香港政府禮賓司司長。在任期間，他對中國藝術產生了濃厚的興趣。
品相：狀況極好，有輕微的舊時磨損和輕微燒製缺陷。 口部邊緣輕微釉面凹陷，其舊時填充物已變黃，細節圖片可見 www.zacke.at 。

重量：206.0克
尺寸：高8.3 厘米, 寬8.9 厘米 (最寬處)

拍賣結果比較：一件乾隆款相近尺寸和外形的渣斗，見香港佳士得Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2011年11月 30日 lot 2954, 售價HKD 1,100,000.；一件道光款、相近尺寸和紋樣的青花渣斗，見紐約佳士得Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2011年9月15日 lot 1527, 售價USD 122,500 (一對)。