Sandbanks Antiques has dated this Chinese Doucai Water Pot to the 18th Century.
Qing Dynasty, Early 19th Century (Jiaqing / Daoguang Period, c. 1800–1850)
The exterior is meticulously decorated in the traditional doucai palette, utilizing crisp underglaze cobalt-blue outlines filled with vibrant overglaze enamels. The design features intricate scrolling lotus tendrils interspersed with iron-red (fan hong) auspicious bats (fuzhi), all situated above a band of upright lappets encircling the foot rim. The shoulder is framed by a stylized ruyi-head border, leading up to the mouth opening.
Technical & Connoisseurship Notes
Enamel & Brush Execution: Macro examination of the mouth rim reveals an authentic, hand-drawn overglaze iron-red framing band showcasing subtle brush-stroke variations and natural muffle-kiln enamel shrinkage. This freehand work confirms traditional two-stage muffle-kiln firing rather than modern mechanical application.
Clay Body & Glaze Quality: The glaze exhibits a soft, pale celadon-tinted white (qingshibai) tone with authentic microscopic surface friction and light enamel rubbing consistent with period desk handling. The unglazed foot rim displays tight, well-levigated porcelain paste with a natural orange-brown iron-bleed oxidation line along the perimeter.
Proportions & Mass: At 7cm high and 103 grams, the vessel possesses a dense, tactile hand-feel (shou gan) characteristic of elite 19th-century Jingdezhen literati wares continuing 18th-century court traditions.
Comparative Literature & Auction Provenance Benchmarks
This piece follows the celebrated 18th-century imperial Qianlong prototype. Identical imperial-style designs are preserved in world-class collections, including the Baur Collection, Geneva (published by John Ayers, Vol. 4, pl. A571) and the Goldschmidt Collection.
At the upper tier of the international market, authenticated imperial-style doucai scholar's pieces of this caliber achieve significant auction benchmarks:
Major London Specialized Sales: A closely related doucai scholar's vessel realized £176,400 including buyer's premium.
International Collector Market: High-grade imperial-style doucai scholar's vessels consistently command strong four-to-five-figure retail valuations in Mayfair and New York galleries, positioning this UV-pristine early 19th-century example as an exceptional and accessible acquisition.
Specifications
Object Type: Scholar's Water Pot (Shuicheng)
Ware/Technique: Doucai (Underglaze Blue and Overglaze Enamels)
Period: Qing Dynasty, Early 19th Century (Jiaqing / Daoguang Period, c. 1800–1850)
Mark: Underglaze blue six-character Qianlong seal mark to the base
Height: 7 cm
Weight: 103 grams
Condition: Excellent collector condition. Verified under UV light; confirmed pristine and undamaged throughout, entirely free of chips, hairlines, or restoration
Provenance: The G S. May Esquire Private Collection, London
"Please note that while lighting shifts slightly across the rotating video sequence—subtly deepening shadows or highlights along the curved contours—the accompanying high-resolution static photography represents the true, vibrant palette and soft luster of the porcelain. Under natural daylight or gallery illumination, the vivid iron-red (fan hong) bats, translucent green scrolling foliage, and soft yellow lotus petals exhibit pristine clarity, perfectly matching the detailed macro imagery."
Sandbanks Antiques has dated this Chinese Doucai Water Pot to the 18th Century.
Specialising in antique silver, gold boxes, gold coins and objects de vertu. Rare fine-quality imperial chinese porcelain, jades, cloisonné
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A Fine and Rarity-form Chinese Doucai 'Lotus and Bat' Scholar's Water Pot (Shuicheng)
