A RARE BLANC DE CHINE HOOKAH BASE EARLY KANGXI,... Lot 33

A RARE BLANC DE CHINE HOOKAH BASE EARLY KANGXI, CIRCA 1670 the body moulded in high-relief with flowering branches of winter prunus, beneath a relief band of leaves at the shoulder, repeated beneath the rim, the neck of conical form with a wide, flat flange, all on a slightly splayed foot, all between anhua key-fret bands on the rim and foot, covered overall in an even white glaze. 8.4cm high. PROVENANCE: Formerly in the private French collection. NOTE: A similar example described as a 'water vessel' is illustrated by P.J. Donnelly in Blanc De Chine, pl.127.c. Donnelly mentions on p. 188, "Thus the bottles and ewer of plate 127, of the strong near-eastern influence, were in use at the Dresden court (where they served as milk jugs) as well as in China itself. A similar bottle vase without the flange was included by Marchant in their exhibition of Blanc of Chine, 2006, no.87, p.129.