China, 1736-1795. The compressed body supported on a short straight foot and rising to a waisted neck with slightly everted rim. Finely painted to the exterior with five bats in flight. The base with a four-character iron-red mark Qianlong nianzhi and of the period.

Provenance: The Ezekiel Collection. Acquired by Marcus Ezekiel. The Ezekiel Collection was formed by Marcus Ezekiel (1854-1927) and his son Victor (1905-1976), two leading figures in the formative years of Chinese art collecting in London in the first part of the 20th century, and important early members of the Oriental Ceramic Society. Marcus Ezekiel formed an extensive collection of Chinese art, mostly ceramics, but with a small group of Chinese glass and a cabinet of snuff bottles. At his death in 1927 this collection was left to his wife, effectively as a pension fund. In 1930, she sold 225 pieces at Christie’s for a little over £5,000, and in 1946 a group of 271 pieces went to Sotheby’s, including a number of Song dynasty ceramics. The present lot, however, remained in the collection as a “piece de resistance”, possibly due to its exceptional rarity.
Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and firing irregularities. The foot with a small glaze recess and associated flaw, most likely occurred during the manufacture. The glaze with fine crackling. The base with remnants of black ink probably due to extensive usage.

Weight: 67.0 g (excl. base)
Dimensions: Width 6.6 cm (at the widest points), Height 4.8 cm

With a finely carved and openworked hardwood base supported on five bracket feet, dating to the Qing dynasty. (2)

Five bats (wufu) form the auspicious wish for you to have the Five Blessings, which are old age, wealth, health, love of virtue, and a peaceful death. They were first mentioned in the chapter on Hongfan ('The Great Plan') in the ancient text Shangshu, compiled during the Warring States period (475-221 BC).

Expert’s note: During the 18^th century, a group of fine porcelain objects prominetly depicting the wufu motif were made. However, most of these also show other decorations, making the present waterpot, of fine soft-paste porcelain with a magnificently unctuous feel to the glaze and showing exclusively the five bats, an exceedingly rare example of Imperial Qianlong porcelain.

Auction result comparison: Compare a pair of related dishes (15.9 cm diameter), decorated to the interior with five bats and to the exterior with a floral band against a green ground, also with a Qianlong mark and of the period, at Christie’s New York in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Part I on 14 September 2012, lot 1574, sold for USD 122,500, and a related dish also decorated to the interior with five bats and to the exterior with carps against a café-au-lait ground, with a Yongzheng mark and of the period, at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in Fine Chinese Ceramics And Works Of Art on 11 April 2008, lot 3064, sold for HKD 967,500.

乾隆款及年代罕見礬紅釉五福水丞
中國，1736-1795年。水丞口略外撇，削肩，鼓腹，圈足。肩部及腹部礬紅釉繪製五隻蝙蝠。畫面充滿了古樸的氣息。圈足内書“乾隆年製”篆書款。

來源：Ezekiel收藏。Marcus Ezekiel購置。Ezekiel 收藏由Marcus Ezekiel (1854-1927) 和他的兒子 Victor (1905-1976) 創立，他們曾是20世紀上半葉倫敦的中國藝術收藏形成及穩定時期的兩位領軍人物，同時也是東方陶瓷學會早期重要成員。 Marcus Ezekiel收藏了大量中國藝術品，主要是陶瓷，但也收藏了一小部分重要的中國料器。
品相：狀況極佳，有輕微磨損和燒製瑕疵。 足部有一個小的釉面凹陷和相關瑕疵，很可能發生在製造過程中。 釉面有細碎開片。 水丞内有黑色墨水餘留，可能是使用造成的。

重量：67.0 克 (不含底座)
尺寸：最寬處6.6 厘米，高 4.8 厘米

清代鏤空硬木五足底座。

“五福臨門”最早出自戰國《尚書·洪範》。所記載的五福是：“一曰壽、二曰富、三曰康寧、四曰修好德、五曰考終命”。

專家注釋：十八世紀時，出現了一系列以“五福”為主題的精美瓷器。 不過，大部分都是和其他紋飾一起。現在的水丞，使用上等材料，釉面華美，只展示了五隻蝙蝠，這是乾隆御製瓷器中極為罕見。

拍賣結果比較：比較一對乾隆款及年代的綠地五福盤 (直徑15.9 厘米) ，見紐約佳士得Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Part I 2012年9月14日 lot 1574, 售價USD 122,500 ；一件雍正款及年代醬釉五福鯉魚盤，見香港蘇富比Fine Chinese Ceramics And Works Of Art 2008年4月11日 lot 3064, 售價HKD 967,500。