Another Gu vase

[hn2503]

Hi Peterp and all,

I came across this Gu-shape vase, and the owner said that it is Qing dynasty.

The drawing, glaze, bottom and foot rim do appear Kangxi or Kangxi-style to me. From the images, the vase is in a rather good condition, without any scratches. I just wonder if you any an opinion about the vase.

Thanks
Long

[hn2503]

Some more images

[peterp]

It seems indeed to be Qing dynasty, with an apocryphal Ming Chenghua mark.
The stepped foot rim and different intensities of the blue point to Kangxi, not sure if Kangxi revival period can be excluded or not. The stepped foot rim was also used in the Guangxu reign, but the blue color does not resemble the common blue pigment used in that reign.
A hands-on inspection may be needed to tell more. Any age or signs visible?

[hn2503]

Thanks Peterp. My first impression when I first looked at the vase is that it is in a very good condition, and no sign of age. I did not see any large, long, or visible scratches on the exterior but perhaps I need to pay the vase another visit soon. Obviously there are indents at the bottom.

[peterp]

Scratches from usage should go every which way, short and never in pairs or more together, in the same direction. There may be some degradation of the glaze on the surface, if it is 300 years old. However, glaze patina usually may look as if the colors have sunk deeper into the glaze, has some depth, while with a newer one the decoration looks as if it is flat on the surface.
If you have a magnifier look also at the bubbles and see if they all look fresh, uniform in color, or if some are changing color.