A blue-glazed altar vessel and cover, Dou


Impressed Jiaqing seal marks and of the periodThe vessel moulded in shallow relief with bands of archaistic motifs including overlapping lappets and 'C' curls, the domed cover surmounted by a double-rope-twist loop handle, both covered inside and out with a lustrous glaze of vibrant indigo-blue tone, covering the impressed seal marks inside the foot and cover. 26cm (10 1/4in) high. (2).
|清嘉慶 祭藍釉仿銅器紋豆「大清嘉慶年製」篆書模款Just before the Winter Solstice sacrifice that was scheduled to held in the Temple of Heaven in 1748, the emperor Qianlong issued an Imperial command regarding sacrificial vessels. 'The Altar to Heaven main offering table dou [vessel] is blue porcelain...The handle on the top is like a twisted rope.' This was the first time that blue porcelain vessels were used and it became a precedent for these sacrificial rites for the rest of the Qing dynasty. See For Blessings and Guidance: The Qianlong Emperor's Design for State and Sacrificial Vessels, Hong Kong, 2019, p.75, where a similar blue-glazed dou, Jiaqing seal marks and of the period is illustrated, pp.156-157. Compare with a related blue-glazed dou, Jiaqing seal mark and of the period, which was sold at Christie's New York, 22-23 March 2018, lot 785.