Azurite, Malachite
Azurite, Copper Queen Mine, Bisbee, Cochise County, Arizona, USA
Azurite
Azurite, Malachite
Indigo Blue Azurite on Malachite
Azurite with Malachite from Arizona
A ru-type octagonal vase, Qianlong seal mark and period
A ru-type octagonal vase, Qianlong seal mark and period. Photo Sotheby's
the tapering body divided into eight facets, rising from a spreading foot to a waisted neck, covered overall in an opaque pale lavender-blue glaze suffused with a faint crackle, the unglazed foot applied with a brown slip, the base inscribed with a six-character seal mark, Japanese box. Quantity: 2 - 33cm., 13in. Estimate 50,000 — 70,000 GBP
Note: This vase is notable for its lustrous even glaze, which was inspired by the celebrated Ru ware from Henan, the official ware of the Northern Song (960-1127) and the rarest of all the Song dynasty official wares. A closely related vase was sold in our Hong Kong rooms 2nd May 2005, lot 693; and another was sold in these rooms, 23rd October 2005, lot 321, and again in our New York rooms, 16th September 2009, lot 215. Compare also a Daoguang mark and period vase of this form, but covered overall with a Guan-type glaze, in the National Palace Museum, Hong Kong, included in the Special Exhibition of Ch’ing Dynasty Monochrome Glaze Porcelain, Taipei, 1981, cat. no. 98; and another exhibited in Imperial Porcelain of the Late Qing from the Kwan Collection, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1983, cat. no. 85.
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, London, 14 May 2014 - www.sothebys.com
A flambé-glazed vase, fanghu, Qianlong seal mark and period
A flambé-glazed vase, fanghu, Qianlong seal mark and period. Photo Sotheby's
of archaic bronze form, the pear-shaped body of rectangular section rising from a gently spreading foot to a quatrefoil rim, set at the shoulder with a pair of square lug handles and moulded to the front and back with a raised peach-form panel, covered overall with a lustrous glaze of violet-purple tone with broad creamy lavender streaks, thinning to a buff colour at the rim and along the edges, the base incised with a six-character seal mark and further applied with a greyish glaze with russet patches - 29cm., 11 3/8 in. Estimate 40,000 — 60,000 GBP
Note: A closely related vase is illustrated in Chinese Ceramics IV. Qing Dynasty, The Tsui Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 47; one is published in J.J. Marquet de Vasselot, The Louvre Museum. Chinese Ceramics. K’ang Hsi Period to our Days, Paris, 1922, pl. 35; and two examples were sold in our Hong Kong rooms, the first, 26th October 1993, lot 99, and the second, of slightly larger size, 11th April 2008, lot 2973.
Vases of this type derive from wares of the Song dynasty (960-1279) and demonstrate the craftsmanship of Qing potters in their ability to imitate shapes and glazes and developing them to suit the contemporary aesthetic. Flambé glazes derive from Jun wares, a glaze that was first revived by the Yongzheng emperor and which remained popular throughout the Qing dynasty. The shape is an interpretation of facetted and pear-shape guan vases, which in turn were inspired by the archaic bronze ritual vessel, hu.
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, London, 14 May 2014 - www.sothebys.com
A flambé-glazed vase, fanghu, Guangxu mark and period
A flambé-glazed vase, fanghu, Guangxu mark and period. Photo Sotheby's
the pear-shaped body of rectangular section, rising from a gently spreading foot to a quatrefoil rim, set at the shoulder with a pair of square lug handles and moulded to the front and back with a raised peach-form panel, covered overall with a rich red glaze with broad liver-red streaks, thinning to a creamy-yellow colour at the rim and along the edges, the unglazed base incised with a six-character mark - 30,2cm., 11 7/8 in. Estimate 10,000 — 15,000 GBP
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, London, 14 May 2014 - www.sothebys.com
A copper-red glazed dish, Yongzheng mark and period
A copper-red glazed dish, Yongzheng mark and period. Photo Sotheby's
the rounded sides resting on a tapered foot, covered overall in a rich liver-red glaze thinning to white at the rim, the base inscribed with a six-character reign mark within a double-circle - 16.6cm., 6 1/2 in. Estimate 3,000 — 5,000 GBP
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, London, 14 May 2014 - www.sothebys.com
A large flambé-glazed bamboo-necked bottle vase, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period
A large flambé-glazed bamboo-necked bottle vase, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period. Photo Sotheby's
the globular body with single filet encircling the waist, rising from a short straight foot to a tall ribbed neck with everted waisted rim, covered overall in a rich dark red glaze suffused with purple-blue streaks thinning to a buff tone at the rim - 38cm., 15in. Estimate 10,000 — 15,000 GBP
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, London, 14 May 2014 - www.sothebys.com
A copper-red pear-shaped vase, yuhuchunping, Qianlong seal mark and period
A copper-red pear-shaped vase, yuhuchunping, Qianlong seal mark and period. Photo Sotheby's
well-potted, the generously swelling pear-shaped body rising from a short spreading foot to a tapering neck with broad everted rim, the exterior covered in a rich copper-red glaze, the interior and recessed base glaze white and with a six-character Qianlong seal mark - 29.7cm., 11 5/8 in. Estimate 20,000 — 30,000 GBP
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, London, 14 May 2014 - www.sothebys.com
A celadon-glazed vase, fanghu, Guangxu mark and period
A celadon-glazed vase, fanghu, Guangxu mark and period. Photo Sotheby's.
the pear-shaped rectangular section body set at the shoulder with a pair of square lug handles and moulded to the front and back with a raised peach-form panel, covered overall with a celadon glaze, the base with the six-character mark - 29cm., 11 3/8 in. Estimate 7,000 — 9,000 GBP
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, London, 14 May 2014 - www.sothebys.com
A clair-de-lune glazed bowl, Yongzheng mark and period
A clair-de-lune glazed bowl, Yongzheng mark and period. Photo Sotheby's.
the rounded sides rising from a short straight foot, the exterior covered with a pale lavender-blue glaze, the interior and base white, the base with the six-character mark - 12cm., 4 ¾ in. Estimate 5,000 — 7,000 GBP
Provenance: Sotheby’s New York, 27th November 1941, lot 561.
Collection of Stephen Junkunk III.
Christie’s New York, 21st September 1995, lot 248.
Marchant Ltd., London, 1996.
Exhibited: Exhibition of Imperial Porcelain of Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong, Marchant Ltd., London, 1996, cat. no. 12.
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, London, 14 May 2014 - www.sothebys.com
A celadon-glazed bamboo necked bottle vase, Qing dynasty
A celadon-glazed bamboo necked bottle vase, Qing dynasty. Photo Sotheby's.
the globular body moulded with a single rib and rising from a short spreading foot to a tall ribbed neck with everted dished mouth, covered overall with a pale celadon glaze suffused with a fine golden crackle - 23cm., 9 1/8 in. Estimate 6,000 — 8,000 GBP
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, London, 14 May 2014 - www.sothebys.com
