AN EXQUISITE SMALL BLUE AND WHITE DOUBLE-GOURD VASEYongzhengDelicately painted in various rich tones of cobalt blue to the lower and upper bulbs of the waisted body, with an overall pattern of double gourds and finely detailed leaves borne on meandering vines with curled tendrils, raised on a slightly concave base, wood stand, fitted box.18.4cm (7 1/4in) highProvenance: 清雍正 青花福祿連綿葫蘆瓶Provenance:An important Asian collectionFrederick E. Church, New YorkSotheby's Hong Kong, 23 May 1978, lot 128Christie's London, 8 November 2011, lot 319The Robert Chang Collection, Hong Kong來源：重要亞洲收藏紐約Frederick E. Church舊藏香港蘇富比，1978年5月23日，拍品128倫敦佳士得，2011年11月8日，拍品319香港張宗憲先生珍藏The double-gourd motif has long been regarded as auspicious in China and is frequently seen in Chinese art. With a range of auspicious meanings, these plants are associated with Immortals and immortality, the wish for a successful career, as well as seen as a blessing for many descendants. Gourds on vines provide a rebus for 'may you have numerous descendants' and string-like vines and tendrils in particular, provide a rebus for 'ten thousand generations'.Compare two Yongzheng period blue and white double-gourd vases in the Palace Museum, Beijing: illustrated by Chen Runmin, ed., The Palace Museum's Collection of Blue and White Porcelains from Yongzheng Period of Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2017, nos.129 and 130. Similar design of blue and white double-gourd vases continues to the succeeding Qianlong period, see a larger example (73cm high) with a movable ring, decorated to the body with double-gourds, leaves with curled tendrils painted in different shades of cobalt blue in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (III), Hong Kong, 2010, p.249, no.227.Compare the Yongzheng period white-glazed relief-decorated double-gourd vase of similar proportions, size and design, which was sold at Christie's New York, 16 September 2016, lot 1333.壺圓唇，頸略細長，束腰鼓腹葫蘆型，青花料滿繪纏枝葫蘆，外罩透明釉，青花分水層次豐富，釉光含蓄溫潤。葫蘆枝繁葉茂，多籽多產，諧音福祿，固有子孫福祿綿延之意。此類及器型自明代流行至滿清，各類宮廷藝術品皆有所飾。可比較北京故宮藏兩件雍正青花葫蘆瓶，見陳潤民編，《故宮博物院藏清雍正青花瓷器》，北京，2017年，編號129及130。此類青花葫蘆瓶乾隆朝繼續燒製，如一件清宮舊藏乾隆青花粉彩福祿萬代紋活環葫蘆瓶，高72公分，見《故宮博物院藏文物珍品大系：青花釉裡紅（下）》，北京，2000年，編൯...