A MINIATURE SAWASA WARE BALUSTER VASE, LATE MING TO EARLY QING China, 17th century. Of Japanese manufacture made for the Chinese market, the elongated square vessel with a foliate-form rim above a waisted neck, each facet of the tapering body with a relief panel of foliage raised on a minutely punched ground, all on a square stepped base. Provenance: Christie's Geneva, 14 May 1979. Collection of Anthony du Boulay, acquired from the above and thence by descent. Anthony du Boulay served at Christie's from 1949 to 1980, for many years as the Director of the Ceramics Department and for 13 years as the President of Christie's, Geneva. From 1981, he served as Honorary Adviser on Ceramics to the National Trust, United Kingdom, on council of the Oriental Ceramic Society and as the Chairman of the French Porcelain Society. Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and casting flaws, small dents and nicks as well as surface scratches. The fine gilding comes in stunningly fine preservation! Weight: 204.9 g Dimensions: 11.4 cm Although sometimes erroneously referred to as 'Tonkin ware', vessels of this type are called 'Sawasa Ware'. The term originates from the Dutch word 'Saussa' for Japanese Shakudo. The academic consensus now appears to be that pieces of this type were manufactured in Japan under Dutch influence and exported via the island of Deshima (just outside of Nagasaki), possibly even made by Chinese artisans. Literature comparison: See Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Sawasa: Japanese Export Art in Black and Gold 1650-1800, (Amsterdam, 1998). Auction result comparison: Compare with a Sawasa Ware censer of later date sold by Bonham's San Francisco in Chinese, Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art and Paintings on 28 June 2016, lot 8160, for USD $25,000 incl. buyer's premium. 微型日本外銷中國蕾絲鎏金瓶，明末清初 中國，十七世紀。日本製造外銷中國市場，四方瓶削肩，嘴外撇，足内收，每一面都可見花卉紋。方形四足底座。 來源：1979年5月14日日内瓦佳士得。Anthony du Boulay收藏，購於上述拍賣行，自此保存至今。Anthony du Boulay 于1949-1980年間為佳士得工作，曾多年為陶瓷部主任，后又曾任13年日内瓦佳士得主席。1981年起他曾任英國陶瓷信托名譽顧問、東方陶瓷協會理事以及法國陶瓷協會主席。 品相：品相極好，輕微磨損，製作缺陷，小凹陷，刻痕和表面劃痕。 鎏金保存極好。 重量：204.9 克 尺寸：11.4 厘米