A rare Imperial yellow-ground blue and white 'gardenia dish'. Zhengde six-character mark within double-circles and of the perio
A rare Imperial yellow-ground blue and white 'gardenia dish'. Zhengde six-character mark within double-circles and of the period. photo Nagel Auctions
Painted in underglaze-blue with thickly penciled outlines and details in varied tones of wash, the centre with a gardenia branch bearing two blossoms and a bud, within double-circles in the well and below the rim, the rounded well with four evenly spaced pomegranate, grape, peach and lotus sprays, the exterior with a continous flower scroll with six large camellia blooms within double bands below the rim and around the tapering foot, all reserved on a rich yellow-ground.
Provenance: Former Sze Yuan Tang Collection (Anthony Hardy).
There are a number of published examples of this type of floral dish decorated with a yellow-enamelled ground. The overall composition of these dishes is generally similar with exception of minor differences in the treatment of the flowers and choice of fruit. The design first appeared in the Xuande period and continued into the 16th century.
The flower, gardenia, is native to China, and it has been suggested that when combined with other fruit and flowers the genral meaning ins one of fruitful abundance, cf. S. Pierson, Designs as Signs: Decoration and Chinese Ceramics, Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, p. 25, where the author illustrates a similarly decorated Hongzhi-marked dish.
Published Zhengde period examples of this size are found in many museums and collection. See J. Harrison-Hall, Ming Cermics in the British Museum, London, 2001, figs. 8:23 and 8:24 (one with a six-character reign mark and the other with four characters); J. Ayers Chinese Ceramics: The Koger Collection, New York, 1985, p. 96, no. 72; and R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyingtang Collection, vol. II, London, 1994, p. 70, no. 683, where a Zhengde-marked dish is illustrated with a similar Jiajing-marked example
Very minor wear, good condition. D. 19,7 cm. Estimate 150 000 / 250 000 €
Nagel Auctions. Asian Art. November 3rd 2011. www.auction.de