Ming Porcelain
See also : Chinese porcelain Early Ming Later Ming Bird Dragon
Chronology : 15th century 1400-1429 1430-1459 1480-1489 16th century 1540-1569
Chronology : 15th century 1400-1429 1430-1459 1480-1489 16th century 1540-1569
Intro
Some cities had their rise ensured by fabulous natural resources. This is the case of the high hills of Jingdezhen in southern China. The Chinese word for "High Hills" is Gaoling, which the French translated as Kaolin.
Jingdezhen ceramics were already known under the Tang. A clever mixture of clay and kaolinite later enabled the development of Chinese porcelain.
During the Yuan dynasty, Jingdezhen kilns were already producing blue and white porcelains. But the Yuan, of Mongol origin, were northerners. The Hongwu emperor, who overthrew the Yuan and established the Ming dynasty, took Nanjing as his capital. The conditions became favorable for installing at Jingdezhen the Imperial workshops responsible for producing porcelain for the Court and for export.
A large dish with floral decoration made during the reign of Hongwu was sold for HK $ 41M on April 7, 2011 by Sotheby's, lot 43. It measures 45 cm in diameter with a rounded edge in the form of a string of accolades. The underglaze red color of its decoration is a technical feat for its time.
Jingdezhen ceramics were already known under the Tang. A clever mixture of clay and kaolinite later enabled the development of Chinese porcelain.
During the Yuan dynasty, Jingdezhen kilns were already producing blue and white porcelains. But the Yuan, of Mongol origin, were northerners. The Hongwu emperor, who overthrew the Yuan and established the Ming dynasty, took Nanjing as his capital. The conditions became favorable for installing at Jingdezhen the Imperial workshops responsible for producing porcelain for the Court and for export.
A large dish with floral decoration made during the reign of Hongwu was sold for HK $ 41M on April 7, 2011 by Sotheby's, lot 43. It measures 45 cm in diameter with a rounded edge in the form of a string of accolades. The underglaze red color of its decoration is a technical feat for its time.
Yongle - A Masculine Yongle Meiping
2011 SOLD 168 MHK$ including premium
Yongle, the third Ming emperor, reigned 600 years ago. In porcelain, the cobalt blue on a white background was already reaching a high level of perfection, and the Meiping shape was fashionable for the vases.
Porcelain is an art that invites the touch, and the curves of the Meiping with their bulging under the collar have a sensual intent. The large vase, 36 cm high, for sale by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on October 5, is more masculine in its massive form. Its fine decoration is classic : branches bearing fruit.
It is the star lot of the second sale of the prestigious Meiyintang collection. It is estimated HK $ 80M, and illustrated at the top of the left column in the article shared by ARTINFO.
The first Meiyintang sale, on April 7, included some very beautiful pieces, but buyers were confused by the process for guarantee of payment requested by the auction house. The two top lot, the Qianlong vase with pheasants and a bowl with melon vines from Chenghua time, had to wait the post-sale for finding a buyer, at 200 and 90 MHK$ respectively.
The next sale will be a good test for this exciting market.
POST SALE COMMENT
It is a glorious day for the Ming porcelain. This large size vase was sold HK$ 168M including premium.
Porcelain is an art that invites the touch, and the curves of the Meiping with their bulging under the collar have a sensual intent. The large vase, 36 cm high, for sale by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on October 5, is more masculine in its massive form. Its fine decoration is classic : branches bearing fruit.
It is the star lot of the second sale of the prestigious Meiyintang collection. It is estimated HK $ 80M, and illustrated at the top of the left column in the article shared by ARTINFO.
The first Meiyintang sale, on April 7, included some very beautiful pieces, but buyers were confused by the process for guarantee of payment requested by the auction house. The two top lot, the Qianlong vase with pheasants and a bowl with melon vines from Chenghua time, had to wait the post-sale for finding a buyer, at 200 and 90 MHK$ respectively.
The next sale will be a good test for this exciting market.
POST SALE COMMENT
It is a glorious day for the Ming porcelain. This large size vase was sold HK$ 168M including premium.
Xuande - The Blue Fishes
2017 SOLD for HK$ 230M including premium
When the emperor himself encouraged the development of porcelain techniques, the ingenuity of the Jingdezhen potters no longer had any limits. The reign of Xuande, the fifth emperor of the Ming dynasty, is one of those golden ages with spectacular progress for blue and red under glaze.
The red is still difficult to achieve and its drawing remains limited to massive silhouettes of fish or fruit. At the same time the cobalt blue is obtained in a series of tones which enable subtle contrasts. The quality of the Xuande blue and white will never be surpassed.
The sharpness of the blue drawing becomes exceptional but the iconography remains traditional. The wall of a bowl is read like a paper ink drawing being gradually unrolled. The theme of fishes moving at mid-depth amidst the aquatic weeds of a pond is well suited to such achievements.
On April 5 in Hong Kong, Sotheby's sells at lot 101 a bell-shaped bowl on that theme, 23 cm in diameter, with a ultimate refinement : it is lobed in ten sections down to the base which is also lobed in the extension. The goal is an unprecedented visual effect : the unfolding of the image before the eyes gives the impression of a gentle movement of the fish.
The lobes are not new in Chinese porcelain : washers or saucers lobed for imitating a flower had been a specialty of the fabulous Ru kilns at the end of the Northern Song dynasty.
A piece as deep as that lobed fish bowl is a technical feat : no other specimen of this form and visual effect has surfaced in such a large size. Two smaller bowls were identified in an ancient inventory of the Taipei Museum. Waste from an even smaller discarded piece was found in Jingdezhen.
It is difficult to estimate the price of such a rarity that reaches the extreme limits of the technologies known under the early Ming. The press release of March 8 hopes a result beyond HK $ 100M.
The red is still difficult to achieve and its drawing remains limited to massive silhouettes of fish or fruit. At the same time the cobalt blue is obtained in a series of tones which enable subtle contrasts. The quality of the Xuande blue and white will never be surpassed.
The sharpness of the blue drawing becomes exceptional but the iconography remains traditional. The wall of a bowl is read like a paper ink drawing being gradually unrolled. The theme of fishes moving at mid-depth amidst the aquatic weeds of a pond is well suited to such achievements.
On April 5 in Hong Kong, Sotheby's sells at lot 101 a bell-shaped bowl on that theme, 23 cm in diameter, with a ultimate refinement : it is lobed in ten sections down to the base which is also lobed in the extension. The goal is an unprecedented visual effect : the unfolding of the image before the eyes gives the impression of a gentle movement of the fish.
The lobes are not new in Chinese porcelain : washers or saucers lobed for imitating a flower had been a specialty of the fabulous Ru kilns at the end of the Northern Song dynasty.
A piece as deep as that lobed fish bowl is a technical feat : no other specimen of this form and visual effect has surfaced in such a large size. Two smaller bowls were identified in an ancient inventory of the Taipei Museum. Waste from an even smaller discarded piece was found in Jingdezhen.
It is difficult to estimate the price of such a rarity that reaches the extreme limits of the technologies known under the early Ming. The press release of March 8 hopes a result beyond HK $ 100M.
A Xuande bowl expected to fetch US$12.8mil leads #HongKong's Chinese Works of Art sales on 5 Apr #sothebysasianart https://t.co/5ILRjKHVQh pic.twitter.com/WIhR7E11Yk
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) March 27, 2017
Ferocious Dragons for the Xuande Emperor
2016 SOLD for HK$ 158M including premium
The mastery of porcelain in the Ming dynasty is achieved in three phases : a restart to the top quality under Yongle, an approach to touching perfection under Xuande and the masterpieces for the palace of Chenghua.
The use of underglaze cobalt blue on the white porcelain had reached under the Yuan a refinement which continued under Yongle. In the reign of the Xuande emperor the chemists significantly improved this technique for shading the blue. An extreme care is taken in the homogeneity of the cobalt solution and in the control of the kiln atmosphere. The sharpness of the line is also improved.
The image of the dragon, appreciated by the Yuan, becomes popular again in the Xuande porcelain, with a fierce expression. Dark blue dragons move in an environment of lighter figures. This contrast reinforces the power of the imperial symbol.
A stem bowl 15.4 cm in diameter was sold for HK $ 113M including premium by Sotheby's on April 4, 2012. The drawing of the dragons is exquisite.
Two porcelain pieces with the mark of Xuande come for sale in Hong Kong. On the theme of the dragon, both are great examples of the Xuande perfection in blue and white that will never be equaled even under Chenghua.
On May 30, Christie's sells a jar 48 cm high, lot 3012 estimated HK $ 60M. The empowered dragon deploys its undulating body throughout the circumference.
On May 31, Lyon and Turnbull in association with Freeman's sells a stem cup 10 cm in diameter, lot 84 estimated in excess of HK $ 22M. I invite you to watch the video introducing this lot.
RESULTS INCLUDING PREMIUM :
Jar at Christie's : HK$ 158M
Stem cup at Lyon and Turnbull : HK$ 41.5M
The use of underglaze cobalt blue on the white porcelain had reached under the Yuan a refinement which continued under Yongle. In the reign of the Xuande emperor the chemists significantly improved this technique for shading the blue. An extreme care is taken in the homogeneity of the cobalt solution and in the control of the kiln atmosphere. The sharpness of the line is also improved.
The image of the dragon, appreciated by the Yuan, becomes popular again in the Xuande porcelain, with a fierce expression. Dark blue dragons move in an environment of lighter figures. This contrast reinforces the power of the imperial symbol.
A stem bowl 15.4 cm in diameter was sold for HK $ 113M including premium by Sotheby's on April 4, 2012. The drawing of the dragons is exquisite.
Two porcelain pieces with the mark of Xuande come for sale in Hong Kong. On the theme of the dragon, both are great examples of the Xuande perfection in blue and white that will never be equaled even under Chenghua.
On May 30, Christie's sells a jar 48 cm high, lot 3012 estimated HK $ 60M. The empowered dragon deploys its undulating body throughout the circumference.
On May 31, Lyon and Turnbull in association with Freeman's sells a stem cup 10 cm in diameter, lot 84 estimated in excess of HK $ 22M. I invite you to watch the video introducing this lot.
RESULTS INCLUDING PREMIUM :
Jar at Christie's : HK$ 158M
Stem cup at Lyon and Turnbull : HK$ 41.5M
What makes this large 15th-century 'dragon' jar so rare — and so special? https://t.co/QLNIYOqVal pic.twitter.com/3fOW2SxJrB
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) May 16, 2016
Once used as an umbrella stand, this Ming Dynasty 'Dragon' jar sold for over $20 million pic.twitter.com/BT3lTth3vU
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) July 22, 2016
Xuande - Cobalt Blue for the Early Ming
2012 SOLD 113 MHK$ including premium
Art was flourishing in China 600 years ago, during the reigns of Yongle and his grandson Xuande, the third and the fifth emperors of the Ming Dynasty. Between them, the reign of Hongxi had only lasted one year.
On April 4 in Hong Kong, Sotheby's auctions the third part of the Meiyintang collection. The first two parts in April and October 2011 already fueled our column with fabulous porcelains.
The two major pieces of this new sale demonstrate the extreme artistic quality in the use of cobalt deep blue on white Chinese porcelain. Each one is estimated HK $ 50M. They were produced, of course, in the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen.
A very large Yongle charger, 60 cm in diameter, is decorated with an elegant long-tailed bird in branches loaded with lychees, bending to swallow an insect. The composition is perfectly balanced. Here is the link to the catalog.
At lot 29, a Xuande stembowl 15 cm high is decorated with a pair of dragons swimming in the waves. The artist, playing with the thickness of the line, obtained several shades of blue.
POST SALE COMMENT
Starting with the same estimate, these two pieces had an opposite destiny. The nice Yongle bird was not sold. More in line with Chinese tradition, the Xuande dragon reached HK $ 113M including premium, doubling its lower estimate.
As ever in this sector of the art market, the buyer is the best placed to judge the quality of a lot.
On April 4 in Hong Kong, Sotheby's auctions the third part of the Meiyintang collection. The first two parts in April and October 2011 already fueled our column with fabulous porcelains.
The two major pieces of this new sale demonstrate the extreme artistic quality in the use of cobalt deep blue on white Chinese porcelain. Each one is estimated HK $ 50M. They were produced, of course, in the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen.
A very large Yongle charger, 60 cm in diameter, is decorated with an elegant long-tailed bird in branches loaded with lychees, bending to swallow an insect. The composition is perfectly balanced. Here is the link to the catalog.
At lot 29, a Xuande stembowl 15 cm high is decorated with a pair of dragons swimming in the waves. The artist, playing with the thickness of the line, obtained several shades of blue.
POST SALE COMMENT
Starting with the same estimate, these two pieces had an opposite destiny. The nice Yongle bird was not sold. More in line with Chinese tradition, the Xuande dragon reached HK $ 113M including premium, doubling its lower estimate.
As ever in this sector of the art market, the buyer is the best placed to judge the quality of a lot.
Xuande - The Secret of the Dragons
2019 SOLD for HK$ 75M including premium
During Xuande's reign, white porcelain is purified with an unprecedented care, creating an unalterable material. The improvement of the cobalt blue associated with a thick glaze provides to the imperial pieces the brilliance of the drawing and the tactile quality. These advances allow Jingdezhen potters to prepare new visual effects.
The realization of different hues of blue on the same piece is obtained by spreading the color like a traditional ink wash on a paper. Obtaining shades of blue by modifying the purity of cobalt will be developed half a century later for the Chenghua palace bowls.
The Chinese have always enjoyed the lithophanes. The new purity of the porcelain, associated with a thinness of the walls which does not prevent the robustness, makes it possible to incise hidden images observable only by transparency. This technique is named anhua.
A model of bowl on a tall hollow foot includes all these advances of the blue and white. These pieces about 15.5 cm in diameter are decorated on the exterior of the bowl with two dragons drawn in dark blue with a fine brush, evolving within light blue clouds. The interior includes a pair of anhua dragons that encircle the imperial mark painted in dark blue. For these bowls of very high prestige, these dragons are imperial with five fingers per leg.
These stem bowls were made in series, as it is often the case with Chinese imperial porcelain. Four of them are almost identical. A bowl was sold for HK $ 113M including premium over a lower estimate of HK $ 50M by Sotheby's on April 4, 2012. Another one will be sold by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on October 8, lot 3606. The press release of August 28 announces an estimate in excess of HK $ 60M.
Four pieces also exist in a very close variant, of the same dimensions, recognizable by a different design of the rocks on the foot. One of them, also with the anhua, was sold for HK $ 69M including premium by Christie's on November 30, 2016. Christie's commented that the anhua is so subtle that it was missed by the catalogers in the previous sales of the same specimen.
Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
The realization of different hues of blue on the same piece is obtained by spreading the color like a traditional ink wash on a paper. Obtaining shades of blue by modifying the purity of cobalt will be developed half a century later for the Chenghua palace bowls.
The Chinese have always enjoyed the lithophanes. The new purity of the porcelain, associated with a thinness of the walls which does not prevent the robustness, makes it possible to incise hidden images observable only by transparency. This technique is named anhua.
A model of bowl on a tall hollow foot includes all these advances of the blue and white. These pieces about 15.5 cm in diameter are decorated on the exterior of the bowl with two dragons drawn in dark blue with a fine brush, evolving within light blue clouds. The interior includes a pair of anhua dragons that encircle the imperial mark painted in dark blue. For these bowls of very high prestige, these dragons are imperial with five fingers per leg.
These stem bowls were made in series, as it is often the case with Chinese imperial porcelain. Four of them are almost identical. A bowl was sold for HK $ 113M including premium over a lower estimate of HK $ 50M by Sotheby's on April 4, 2012. Another one will be sold by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on October 8, lot 3606. The press release of August 28 announces an estimate in excess of HK $ 60M.
Four pieces also exist in a very close variant, of the same dimensions, recognizable by a different design of the rocks on the foot. One of them, also with the anhua, was sold for HK $ 69M including premium by Christie's on November 30, 2016. Christie's commented that the anhua is so subtle that it was missed by the catalogers in the previous sales of the same specimen.
Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
Chenghua - Imperial Chickens
2014 SOLD 280 MHK$ including premium
Inactive after the reign of Xuande, the Jingdezhen kilns were reactivated three decades later by Chenghua before being stopped around the 20th year of the reign of this emperor.
The best period of Chenghua porcelains is the second decade of his reign. Improvements are made to the choice of materials, enabling a higher temperature. The apex of any ceramic art is then achieved with a dense paste, a transparent and robust glaze and an extraordinary tactile effect.
The doucai color, started under Xuande, also gets some dramatic progress under Chenghua. Mixing enameled colors over the glaze allows a wide range of shades.
The figures of Chenghua ceramics are simple and naive. However, his chicken wine cups had an almost mystical reputation. The rooster is the emperor, and the hen protecting her chicks is his favorite concubine. It is an opportunity fir the historian to remind that Wan Guifei herself intervened to improve the quality of imperial porcelains.
One of these wonders is in perfect condition, on a pristine white background, without any crack or scratch. This piece 8.2 cm in diameter is decorated underglaze in cobalt blue and multicolored on its surface.
It was sold for HK $ 29M including premium on April 27, 1999 by Sotheby's, purchased at that sale by Eskenazi. It is estimated HK $ 200M, for sale by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on April 8.
POST SALE COMMENT
The absolute pinnacle of the art of porcelain was achieved by the Chinese Imperial pieces of the second part of the reign of Chenghua. This cup was sold for HK $ 280M including premium.
I invite you to play the video shared by Sotheby's :
The best period of Chenghua porcelains is the second decade of his reign. Improvements are made to the choice of materials, enabling a higher temperature. The apex of any ceramic art is then achieved with a dense paste, a transparent and robust glaze and an extraordinary tactile effect.
The doucai color, started under Xuande, also gets some dramatic progress under Chenghua. Mixing enameled colors over the glaze allows a wide range of shades.
The figures of Chenghua ceramics are simple and naive. However, his chicken wine cups had an almost mystical reputation. The rooster is the emperor, and the hen protecting her chicks is his favorite concubine. It is an opportunity fir the historian to remind that Wan Guifei herself intervened to improve the quality of imperial porcelains.
One of these wonders is in perfect condition, on a pristine white background, without any crack or scratch. This piece 8.2 cm in diameter is decorated underglaze in cobalt blue and multicolored on its surface.
It was sold for HK $ 29M including premium on April 27, 1999 by Sotheby's, purchased at that sale by Eskenazi. It is estimated HK $ 200M, for sale by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on April 8.
POST SALE COMMENT
The absolute pinnacle of the art of porcelain was achieved by the Chinese Imperial pieces of the second part of the reign of Chenghua. This cup was sold for HK $ 280M including premium.
I invite you to play the video shared by Sotheby's :
The Palace Bowls of the Chenghua Emperor
2013 SOLD 140 MHK$ including premium
In 1464 of our calendar, Chenghua became the eighth Ming Emperor. Politically dominated by his eunuchs and socially by his concubines, he did not leave an indelible mark in history.
During this reign that lasted 24 years, the porcelain workshops of Jingdezhen had an intense activity, which can be divided into three phases.
The blue and white of the beginning looks similar as Yuan and early Ming styles. The first major technical innovation is then the doucai, by which other colors could be added through a second firing.
And suddenly, about the 17th year of his reign, the unique technique of the so-called Chenghua palace bowls is launched. The porcelain is back to blue and white, but its tactile quality is extraordinary, comparable only to the Ru porcelain of the Northern Song, 380 years earlier.
Chenghua palace bowls are decorated with delicacy and simplicity, with flowers or fruits of botanical accuracy. On 7 April 2011, Sotheby's sold HK $ 90M in post sale a bowl 15 cm in diameter decorated with fruit and leaves of melon.
On October 8, Hong Kong, the palace bowl to be sold by Sotheby's, similar as the above in shape and size, is decorated inside and outside with humble musk-mallows. Also same as the melon bowl, it wears the Imperial mark. Expected beyond HK $ 80M, it will be described in a separate catalog. Here is the link to the home page of the sale.
The Ru of the Song had been interrupted by the Yuan invasion after only a few years. Similarly, the production of Chenghua bowls did not survive his reign. Easier to execute, the doucai had a great future and is one of the major steps that lead to the perfection of colors of the falangcai under the Qing.
POST SALE COMMENT
Chenghua palace bowls are among the greatest wonders in the history of art. This specimen was sold for HK$ 140M including premium.
During this reign that lasted 24 years, the porcelain workshops of Jingdezhen had an intense activity, which can be divided into three phases.
The blue and white of the beginning looks similar as Yuan and early Ming styles. The first major technical innovation is then the doucai, by which other colors could be added through a second firing.
And suddenly, about the 17th year of his reign, the unique technique of the so-called Chenghua palace bowls is launched. The porcelain is back to blue and white, but its tactile quality is extraordinary, comparable only to the Ru porcelain of the Northern Song, 380 years earlier.
Chenghua palace bowls are decorated with delicacy and simplicity, with flowers or fruits of botanical accuracy. On 7 April 2011, Sotheby's sold HK $ 90M in post sale a bowl 15 cm in diameter decorated with fruit and leaves of melon.
On October 8, Hong Kong, the palace bowl to be sold by Sotheby's, similar as the above in shape and size, is decorated inside and outside with humble musk-mallows. Also same as the melon bowl, it wears the Imperial mark. Expected beyond HK $ 80M, it will be described in a separate catalog. Here is the link to the home page of the sale.
The Ru of the Song had been interrupted by the Yuan invasion after only a few years. Similarly, the production of Chenghua bowls did not survive his reign. Easier to execute, the doucai had a great future and is one of the major steps that lead to the perfection of colors of the falangcai under the Qing.
POST SALE COMMENT
Chenghua palace bowls are among the greatest wonders in the history of art. This specimen was sold for HK$ 140M including premium.
Chenghua - Perfect Tactility of Ming Bowls
2011 SOLD 90 MHK$
White porcelain from the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen was highly appreciated by the Ming. Yongle, third emperor of the dynasty, had promoted pieces in immaculate white, without slowing the progress of underglaze decoration in cobalt blue.
The "palace bowls" were produced for a very short period not exceeding 7 years, from 1481 to 1487 in our calendar at the end of the reign of Chenghua, the seventh emperor. This utensil is by nature an object to be touched. These Chenghua bowls reach a perfection of tactility that will never be exceeded.
They are very rare, and the copy for sale by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on April 7, estimated HK $ 80M, takes its place among the masterpieces of Chinese porcelain.
Measuring 15 cm in diameter, it is inscribed with the six-character mark of Chenghua and decorated with melon vines including leaves and fruits.
POST SALE COMMENTS
1
Perfection of manufacturing and scarcity were not sufficient arguments to justify the estimate. Unsold.
2
A later buyer let this bowl win its rightful place in the cultural hierarchy of the results.
The press release of Sotheby's indicates that it was sold HK $ 90M privately after the sale.
Traditionally, such announcement includes fees.
The "palace bowls" were produced for a very short period not exceeding 7 years, from 1481 to 1487 in our calendar at the end of the reign of Chenghua, the seventh emperor. This utensil is by nature an object to be touched. These Chenghua bowls reach a perfection of tactility that will never be exceeded.
They are very rare, and the copy for sale by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on April 7, estimated HK $ 80M, takes its place among the masterpieces of Chinese porcelain.
Measuring 15 cm in diameter, it is inscribed with the six-character mark of Chenghua and decorated with melon vines including leaves and fruits.
POST SALE COMMENTS
1
Perfection of manufacturing and scarcity were not sufficient arguments to justify the estimate. Unsold.
2
A later buyer let this bowl win its rightful place in the cultural hierarchy of the results.
The press release of Sotheby's indicates that it was sold HK $ 90M privately after the sale.
Traditionally, such announcement includes fees.
Chenghua - The Tableware of the Principal Concubine
2016 SOLD for HK$ 64M including premium
The Chenghua Emperor of the Ming dynasty did not leave significant traces in Chinese history but his tableware reached the highest level in luxury throughout the ages and categories.
These pieces are innovative by the extreme care in realizing the porcelain, both fine and sturdy with a tactile quality that will never be available again. The gently curved shapes of their walls are also new, in several variants.
Cups are used for wine and bowls for food. These pieces bearing the imperial mark are mainly made for the use of the principal concubine Wan Guifei whose demands were evidently extreme. They are highly rare and not even found as failed or waste pieces, demonstrating the rigorous surveillance made on site in Jingdezhen by imperial eunuchs.
This limited production was so expensive that the emperor's advisers were able to terminate it after about ten years, during the 20th year of the reign corresponding to 1485 of our calendar, two years before the death of the emperor and his concubine.
The color technique is not new: cobalt blue in two hues for bowls and doucai for cups. The drawing is innovative with asymmetrical compositions often adorned with spirals. The chicken cups are prestigious. One of them in an admirable state of preservation was sold for HK $ 280M including premium by Sotheby's on April 8, 2014.
The bowls decorated with flowers can be exquisite such as the musk mallow bowl sold for HK $ 140M including premium by Sotheby's on 8 October 2013. Vines of melons are a rare theme symbolizing an auspicious prosperity to the offspring. The bowl from the Meiyintang collection with a nice balance of blue and white was sold in post sale for HK $ 90M at Sotheby's on April 7, 2011.
On April 6 in Hong Kong, Sotheby's sells another melon bowl, lot 25 estimated HK $ 50M. This piece is unique in the details of its pattern by the quantity and density of the fruit. Its size is 15.4 cm in diameter.
These pieces are innovative by the extreme care in realizing the porcelain, both fine and sturdy with a tactile quality that will never be available again. The gently curved shapes of their walls are also new, in several variants.
Cups are used for wine and bowls for food. These pieces bearing the imperial mark are mainly made for the use of the principal concubine Wan Guifei whose demands were evidently extreme. They are highly rare and not even found as failed or waste pieces, demonstrating the rigorous surveillance made on site in Jingdezhen by imperial eunuchs.
This limited production was so expensive that the emperor's advisers were able to terminate it after about ten years, during the 20th year of the reign corresponding to 1485 of our calendar, two years before the death of the emperor and his concubine.
The color technique is not new: cobalt blue in two hues for bowls and doucai for cups. The drawing is innovative with asymmetrical compositions often adorned with spirals. The chicken cups are prestigious. One of them in an admirable state of preservation was sold for HK $ 280M including premium by Sotheby's on April 8, 2014.
The bowls decorated with flowers can be exquisite such as the musk mallow bowl sold for HK $ 140M including premium by Sotheby's on 8 October 2013. Vines of melons are a rare theme symbolizing an auspicious prosperity to the offspring. The bowl from the Meiyintang collection with a nice balance of blue and white was sold in post sale for HK $ 90M at Sotheby's on April 7, 2011.
On April 6 in Hong Kong, Sotheby's sells another melon bowl, lot 25 estimated HK $ 50M. This piece is unique in the details of its pattern by the quantity and density of the fruit. Its size is 15.4 cm in diameter.
Auction Dossier: The State of Chinese Porcelain Glaze - See more at: https://t.co/psDjPNe2Oz pic.twitter.com/guNMlcqUd3
— ARTINFO HongKong (@ARTINFOHongKong) March 16, 2016
Jiajing - The Carps of the Heavenly Pond
2017 SOLD for HK$ 214M including premium
The palace bowls of the Chenghua emperor were fabulous by the quality of the porcelain and their early application of polychromy but the pieces were small and the drawings were naive. A period of inactivity begins because of court protests against the onerous taste of the leading concubine for such a luxury.
The progress of Jingdezhen porcelain is restarting with the Jiajing emperor, an art lover and an adept of Taoism. Becoming emperor at the age of 14 in 1522, Jiajing reigned for 45 years. Large pieces are made under his rule, using the bright color palette identified as wucai. Wucai literally means five enamels, five having here a meaning of plurality adjusted to the five elements
This emperor liked to state that he was the fisherman of the heavenly pond. The pattern with fish swimming amidst aquatic plants enables a pleasing interweaving of the drawings on the walls of the jars and Jiajing himself promotes this theme by massive commissions. The details of the themes are related to homophonic rebuses bringing to the emperor the auspices that he so much enjoyed.
A 46 cm high jar with its cover is one of the biggest pieces of that type. It is animated by carps of two different sizes. The suspension of the fish in water allows various attitudes. The porcelain was first painted with the classical underglaze blue. The other colors were added over the glaze. Experts believe that three firings have been necessary.
Pieces which are still with their original cover are very rare in private hands. This one was sold for HK $ 44M including premium by Sotheby's on October 29, 2000, a very high price at that time for a Chinese porcelain. It will be sold by Christie's in Hong Kong on November 27, lot 8006. Please watch the video shared by Christie's.
The progress of Jingdezhen porcelain is restarting with the Jiajing emperor, an art lover and an adept of Taoism. Becoming emperor at the age of 14 in 1522, Jiajing reigned for 45 years. Large pieces are made under his rule, using the bright color palette identified as wucai. Wucai literally means five enamels, five having here a meaning of plurality adjusted to the five elements
This emperor liked to state that he was the fisherman of the heavenly pond. The pattern with fish swimming amidst aquatic plants enables a pleasing interweaving of the drawings on the walls of the jars and Jiajing himself promotes this theme by massive commissions. The details of the themes are related to homophonic rebuses bringing to the emperor the auspices that he so much enjoyed.
A 46 cm high jar with its cover is one of the biggest pieces of that type. It is animated by carps of two different sizes. The suspension of the fish in water allows various attitudes. The porcelain was first painted with the classical underglaze blue. The other colors were added over the glaze. Experts believe that three firings have been necessary.
Pieces which are still with their original cover are very rare in private hands. This one was sold for HK $ 44M including premium by Sotheby's on October 29, 2000, a very high price at that time for a Chinese porcelain. It will be sold by Christie's in Hong Kong on November 27, lot 8006. Please watch the video shared by Christie's.
