China, 1736-1795. The ovoid body supported on a thick spreading foot and tapering to a waisted flared neck, set to either side with a lion-head-form loop handle over a molded mock ring handle at the shoulder, applied overall in a thick bluish-gray glaze suffused with a bold network of steel gray and pale gold crackles stopping at the unglazed foot ring dressed in a dark brown wash in imitation of Song dynasty guan ware. The recessed base with an underglaze-blue six-character mark da Qing Qianlong nianzhi and of the period.

Provenance: Swiss trade.
Condition: Fine condition overall with wear and firing irregularities, shallow surface scratches, the rim with a small chip and associated minor old repair. Please request further detail images as well as a video, shot under strong blue light, for accurate documentation of the condition of the present lot.

Weight: 6,002 g
Dimensions: Height 37 cm

The crisply molded lion-form loop handles on the present piece are striking, varying from the usual shallow applied lion-mask handles with pendent rings or the rarer elephant-head loop handles. The bold feature is a charming 18th-century innovation on a vase that in both form and glaze references two well-known early accomplishments of Chinese art: the iconic hu form derived from the great bronzes of the Shang dynasty and the rich crackled glaze of the famed Guan wares of the Southern Song dynasty. The official or Guan ware was produced for the court in the capital, Hangzhou, in Zhejiang province. Laohudong in southern Hangzhou appears to have been the most important Guan kiln creating wares with an attractive crackled glaze, a version of which is seen on the present piece. The crackle was purposefully made utilizing refined technical skill to calibrate a cooling rate for the wares that would produce the different layers of fissures and allow them to be filled with two to three different colors. The present piece with its two tones references the jinsi tiexian (gold thread and iron wire).

Such a pointed allusion to the past served to both pay homage to the past while simultaneously noting the technical achievements of the present. Archaism enjoyed a major revival during the height of the Qing dynasty under the Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors. The combination of a precious glaze and ancient form suggests a deep appreciation and respect for the past, together with the want for its preservation.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Near-identical
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 17 March 2015, lot 287
Price: USD 87,500 or approx. EUR 107,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare Guan-type vase, Hu, Qianlong seal mark and period
Expert remark: Compare the identical form, two-tone crackled glaze, and extremely rare lion-form loop handles. Note the smaller size (30 cm).



乾隆款及年代仿官釉雙耳壺
中國，1736-1795年。仿漢壺尊形制，鼓腹，外撇圈足。頸部兩側有獅首耳，通體及足內均施仿官釉，釉面開片紋。胎體優美，造型素雅，猶可辨趙宋遺韻。圈足内六字篆書款“大清乾隆年製”。

來源：瑞士古玩交易。
品相：整體狀況良好，磨損和燒製不規則，表面淺劃痕，邊緣有小磕損和相應小修。請聯繫部門詢問更多細節圖片以及在強藍光下拍攝的視頻，以準確查看當前拍品的狀況。

重量：6,002 克
尺寸：高37 厘米

這件作品上造型清晰的獅首耳特別引人注目，與通常帶有活環的獅首或較罕見的象首耳不同。此器的造型、釉色都極似宋代的作品，是仿古之作。清雍正時期對宋代五大名窯的仿製取得了空前的成就，摹古水平極高。此時所仿製的宋代官窯釉面或有冰裂紋或無片紋，其紋呈白色或鐵色。胎色黑，頗能體現宋代官窯 “紫口鐵足”的特色，在清代文獻中被稱為“鐵骨大觀”。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：幾乎相同
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2015年3月17日，lot 287
價格：USD 87,500（相當於今日EUR 107,500）
描述：清乾隆官式瑞獸耳壺 《大清乾隆年製》款
專家評論：比較幾乎相同的外型、雙色調的釉面開片，以及罕見的獅首耳。請注意尺寸較小 (30 厘米)。