MAJESTIC, Double gourd Ming vase resemblance, bulbous lower section converging into a lemon-shape midsection and finishing into a slender bottleneck at the top. The bottom forms a substantial ring-base with a flat offset face. Delicately around the exterior with variegate tones shades of cobalt blue and clean white underglaze base color. The neck decorated with floral blooms and auspicious pattern interspersed with wavy Lishui water. The upper main body decorated scrolling vines, foliage and floral blooms, banded with triple fine blue ring lines. Scrolling ruyi clouds and geometric pattern delicately on the mid center of the body. And vigorous Qilin on the center lower body surrounded with scrolling tendril. ruyi and flower blooms. Qilin are extraordinarily beautiful creatures, sparkling like gems and adorned in flames. With their scaly bodies and horned heads, they resemble Chinese dragons, but their legs terminate in delicate hooves, rather than the dragon’s vicious paws, and their tails are lion-like instead of serpentine. Whatever their special attraction, they always move gracefully and dazzle the mortals who see them. The porcelain conformed all required specimen to be high valued Chinese porcelain wares, with finest material, the whiteness, the glaze, the carving, and the shape. Without overlap the outlines of the design, well carved, clear, subtle, and distinct. The clay is very fine, with a brilliant glaze finish that was applied by a meticulous, the shape is uniformly proportioned. The unglazed underside revealed pale-creme unglazed and burnt orange ground with dark-brown spots in the firing. Measurements: 17" H x 8-3/8" Diam.PROVENANCE: From the private collections of Madame Kimball, of Boston, Massachusetts, by inheritance. Records bought from AMEUBLEMENTS ANCIENS, Faiences & Porcelaines, Bibelots & Tapisseries Anciennes, 3 Rue Des Saints-Peres, Paris (6). Dealers in Works of Art & Antiques, Curios, Armor, Plate, China, Jewels, etc. The Kimball's family collections offered at this Auctions can be found on Lot-71, 87, Lot-87 Through Lot-132, Lot-138 Through Lot-141, and Lot-146 Through Lot-153LOT NOTES: In China, the double-gourd or bottle-gourd, Hulu, has traditionally provided a very popular form for vases and ewers. In addition to their attractive shape, bottle-gourds are associated with a number of different auspicious wishes. Because natural gourds have many seeds, they have been regarded as symbols of extensive progeny. Indeed, one of their attributes is believed to be bringing hundreds of sons, Hulu baizi. The pronunciation of the Chinese word for bottle-gourd varies in different parts of China, and in some areas it is close to Fulu - Fu being blessings, and lu being an official salary - hence it is associated with good fortune and wealth.