A pair of Chinese blue and white square vases and covers, Kangxi

H.: 32,5 cm

Provenance: Christie's, New York, Jan. 30, 1993, lot 7.

Condition: (UV-checked)
- The covers missing and remodelled in composite material (3D-printed and hand-painted)
- The vase on the left in good condition with a few chips on the vertical rims and a baking flaw and some negligible discolouration to the neck.
- The vase on the right with a restored break within one of the four sides of the neck. The restoration very well executed and quasi invisible to the naked eye. The body with a faint, quasi invisible vertical C-shaped hairline on one side. A few small, negligible superficial chips on the vertical rims.

Ref.:
- The Chinese University of Hong Kong, has one example, depicting scenes from a popular drama: Autumn in the Han Palace, which is a fictional rendition of the historical story of Wang Zhaojun, a concubine of the Han Emperor Yuan. Written by Ma Zhiyuan, a celebrated playwright during the Yuan dynasty, the drama enjoyed high popularity in the late Ming to early Qing periods. A wide selection of its scripts with illustrations were published. (link)
- The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, has one example, on display, similar to ours. (link)
- The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, has a pair, similar to ours. (link)