A RARE 'RU-TYPE' CONG-SHAPED VASE
Qianlong seal mark and probably of the period
The heavily potted vessel imitating the archaic jade cong form, supported on a circular short foot with two pierced apertures, the straight sides molded to the corners with raised trigram-like bands, one side pierced with two pairs of holes, all under an unctuous Ru-type glaze stopping at the dark-dressed foot rim, with an underglaze blue seal mark.
11 1/4in (28cm) high
Footnotes:
或為清乾隆 仿汝窯八卦琮式瓶 青花《大清乾隆年製》三行篆書款

Such vessels as these are modelled on Song dynasty vases of the same form, which in turn are based on Neolithic jade cong.

The present vase appears to be in imitation Ru ceramics rather than those of Guan or ge type that are more regularly published. Most eighteenth century cong-shaped vases are molded with the 'Eight Trigrams' design around the entire body, so the unusual inverted U-shaped design on each facet of the present vessel and the additional paired apertures on one side, makes our model quite rare.

See two comparable Ru-type cong vases of the same size and design, one sold at Christie's, Hong Kong, The Imperial Sale, June 3rd, 2015, lot 3108; and the other at Sotheby's Paris, December 15th, 2011, lot 98.

A rare example of this type. This is heavily potted. The glaze has some imperfections from firing to the upper halves of two sides and the top corners where the glaze appears paler. At first glance it looks like restoration but in fact the vases are in perfect condition with the exception of a very two small shallow indentations at the foot (see photos). There is some oxidation around the pierced horizontal holes at the foot and interestingly there are two small rectangular patches (that are glazed) to the interior of the vessel behind the oddly placed twin holes on the upper part of one side. The glaze also thinning at the edges and on some of the horizontal bands.