Expert’s note: The soft and gentle clair-de-lune-glazed wares were highly prized in the Qing dynasty and the color was strictly reserved for imperial porcelain. The glaze was first developed in the Xuande (1426-1435) period, as evidenced by the excavated Xuande-marked stem bowl illustrated by S. Liang, Yuan’s and Ming’s Imperial Porcelains Unearthed from Jingdezhen, Beijing, 1999, page 256, no. 257. However, the glaze did not gain prominence until the Kangxi period, when it was used mostly for scholar’s objects.

China. The cylindrical body rising from a short straight foot to a tubular neck with a galleried rim, the neck encircled by a distinct bow string. The exterior covered overall in a smooth and remarkably even pale blue glaze, the everted rim and interior glazed in white. The recessed base with a double circle in underglaze blue.

Provenance: The Strong National Museum of Play, accession number 78.17.33 (lacquered to base). Margaret Woodbury Strong (1897-1969) grew up in a prosperous family of collectors. Her interests ranged so widely that by 1960 she had amassed more than 27,000 collectible items and works of art. The vast majority of her collections related in some way to play and as her accumulation grew, Margaret planned a museum to house her collection. It eventually opened to the public in 1982, and grew dramatically over the following decades, expanding its collections, facilities, and resources, now spanning over 285,000 square feet. Today, the Strong National Museum of Play (known as just The Strong Museum or simply The Strong) is the only collections-based museum in the world devoted solely to the study of play.
Condition: Excellent condition with minor old wear and some manufacturing flaws, including dark spots.

Weight: 817.9 g
Dimensions: Height 25.1 cm

During the early Qing dynasty, up until the 1680s, conditions were unsettled in China and the making of Imperial wares as well as the use of reign marks on porcelain was restricted in various ways. During this period, different types of other marks came into use, including empty double circles. The usage of some of these marks continued well into the later Kangxi era and then started again in the 19^th century, mostly on Kangxi revival pieces.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s London, 28 March 2018, lot 273
Price: GBP 7,500 or approx. EUR 10,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A clair-de-lune bottle vase, 18^th-19^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related glaze and similar size (29.2 cm). Note the different form.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 12 September 2019, lot 732
Price: USD 62,500 or approx. EUR 64,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Small Clair-De-Lune-Glazed Meiping, 18^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related glaze. Note the different form size (18.7 cm).



十八世紀天藍釉棒槌瓶
中國。盤口，短直頸，圓折肩，圓筒狀長腹，圈足。外壁施天藍色釉，瓶口和瓶内白釉，圈足内青花雙圈款。

專家注釋：清代天藍釉質輕色柔，為宮廷瓷器所用。該釉最早出現於宣德（1426-1435）年間，有出土的宣德款高足碗，見梁穗《景德鎮出土元明官窯瓷器》（北京，1999年，第256頁，圖257）。然而，直到康熙年間，釉色才得到重視與發展，當時它主要用於文人用品。

來源：紐約Strong 國立美術館，收藏編號 78.17.33 (見瓶底)。Margaret Woodbury Strong (1897-1969) 成長於一個富裕的收藏家家庭。 她的興趣範圍非常廣泛，到 1960 年爲止，她已經積累了 27,000 多件收藏品和藝術品。她的絕大多數收藏都以特定方式與玩耍有關，隨著她的收藏不斷擴大，Margaret計劃建立一個博物館來展示她的收藏。美術館最終於 1982 年向公眾開放，並在接下來的幾十年裡，其收藏、設施和資源急速擴大，現在佔地超過 285,000 平方英尺。 今天，Strong 國立游戲美術館（簡稱為 The Strong 美術館館或簡稱為 The Strong）是世界上唯一一家專注於遊戲研究的以收藏為基礎的博物館。
品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損和一些製造缺陷，包括黑斑。

重量：817.9 g
尺寸：高25.1 厘米

清初至1680年前後，中國局勢動盪，禦器製作及瓷器年號的使用受到各種限制。在此期間，不同類型的其他款記開始被使用，包括雙圈款。其中一些款記一直持續到康熙晚期，然後在十九世紀重新開始，主要是在仿康熙時期器皿上。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：倫敦佳士得，2018年3月28日，lot 273
價格：GBP 7,500（相當於今日EUR 10,000）
描述：清十八至十九世紀天藍釉長頸瓶
專家評論：比較非常相近的釉面和相似的尺寸(29.2 厘米)。請注意外型不同。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2019年9月12日，lot 732
價格：USD 62,500（相當於今日EUR 64,500）
描述：清十八世紀天藍釉小梅瓶
專家評論：比較非常相近的釉面。請注意外型和尺寸不同 (18.7 厘米)。