A RARE CHINESE IMPERIAL 'CRANES' JUE STAND

FOUR CHARACTER QIANLONG SEAL MARK AND OF THE PERIOD 1736-95

Modelled with a central mountain decorated on the sides with rocks and billowing waves with a peach spray to the top, the well with four cranes in flight amongst ruyi-head clouds, the flat rim with a triangular diaper band, the underside with stylised lotus and scrolling tendrils, 12.2cm.

Provenance: formerly a Swedish private collection.

Cf. R Kerr, Chinese Ceramics, Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty 1644-1911, p.68, no.44 for a similar stand with its matching jue in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Also W Qinghzheng, A Dictionary in Chinese Ceramics, p.26 for another jue and stand in the Shanghai Museum. Other examples are known in the National Palace Museum. For the Yongle prototype, see R Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol.2, no.672, pp.60-61.