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27 septembre 2012

A fine and very rare celadon-glazed incised-decorated washer, Seal mark and period of Qianlong

A fine and very rare celadon-glazed incised-decorated washer, Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795) (2)

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Lot 101. A fine and very rare celadon-glazed incised-decorated washer, Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795); 13.2 cm, 5 1/8 in. Estimate: 800,000 - 1,000,000 HKD. Lot sold 7,820,000 HKD. Photo Sotheby's

the shallow, slightly flared sides rising from a broad flat base to a short upright rim, lightly incised on the interior with five bats flying over a ring of turbulent waves, below a thin band of stylised camellia florettes on detached floral scrolls alternating with lotus florettes encircling the mouth, the exterior incised with four lotus flowers separated by four ruyi heads interlinked with a foliate scroll framing the lotuses, all below a band of 'classic' scroll encircling the rim, covered overall with a pale ice-blue celadon glaze, the recessed base inscribed with a six-character reign mark encircled by nine tiny spur marks, stand

Provenance: Acquired in Shanghai in the 1930s and 1940s.

Exhibited: Zandelou Qingdai guanyao danseyou ciqi/Qing Imperial Monochromes. The Zandelou Collection, Shanghai Museum, Beijing Museum and Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005, cat. no. 45.

Literature: Helen D. Ling and E.T. Chow, Collection of Chinese Ceramics from the Pavilion of Ephemeral Attainment, vol. IV, Hong Kong, 1950, pl. 178.

Note: This washer appears to be unique and is highly unusual in shape, in its firing method, supported on minute spurs, in its very pale celadon glaze, and its incised decoration which is rarely seen on Qing celadon-glazed monochrome wares. Whereas its firing method on minute spurs recalls Ru ware washers of the Northern Song dynasty, its overall impact and finely engraved decoration are vaguely reminiscent of a Ding ware brushwasher from the imperial collection and still preserved in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, together with a drawing from an album depicting pieces from the court collection, prepared for the Qianlong Emperor and bearing his seals; see De jia qu. Qianlong Huangdi de taoci pinwei/Obtaining Refined Enjoyment: The Qianlong Emperor’s Taste in Ceramics, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2012, cat. no. 96. 

Compare also a Ru-type brushwasher from the J.M. Hu collection, also fired on spurs and with a similar raised rib on the outside, but otherwise undecorated, sold in our New York rooms, 4th June 1985, lot 47 and again at Christie’s New York, 20th September 2005, lot 291, from the Rodriguez collection.  

Lasting Pleasures from the Studio of Temporary Enjoyment (Zande Lou). Regina Krahl

Ever since Song dynasty (960-1279) connoisseurs – emperors as well as sophisticated commoners – discovered the beauty of ceramics of harmonious form, desirable colour and pleasing texture, monochrome wares held a powerful appeal for China’s collectors. Throughout the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), when colourful decoration became popular and the range of glaze tones multiplied, monochrome wares retained a high status at the imperial court, for ritual as well as for pleasure. Only in the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), however, when the means of ceramic ornamentation had become nearly unlimited, the voluntary reduction to monochromatic glazes became truly celebrated and experienced its greatest aesthetic triumphs. 

Keen interest in the natural sciences may have led the Kangxi Emperor (r. 1662-1722) to pursue the recreation of forgotten glaze recipes of centuries past, such as copper red, and the development of new variants, such as ‘peachbloom’, one of the first monochrome glazes with a deliberately variegated appearance. Among the wide variety of peachbloom glazes the one seen on the brush washer in this collection ranks at the very top p (lot 105).

Fervent love and astute knowledge of the antiques in the imperial collection may have stimulated the Yongzheng Emperor (r. 1723-35) to project past standards of quality onto contemporary creations and to develop classic styles further, combining sophistication with simplicity. Shapes created on the drawing board to achieve ideal proportions, and highly subtle glaze tones, as here seen on the covered celadon jar (lot 110), are unforgiving when it comes to the slightest irregularity. Although presenting a most modest appearance, they push the craftsmen to the limits of their abilities.

Delight in the amazing spectrum of possibilities may have led the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1736-95) to demand exploitation of the full potential of ceramic technology and inventiveness. Although a stupefying profusion of shapes and colours had already been developed in the previous reign of Yongzheng, the potters at the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen still discovered new ways of employing known techniques and materials to create items of quintessential Qianlong style. The pair of relief-carved turquoise vases, which are enameled on the biscuit and thus admirably reproduce the opacity and texture of natural turquoise gemstone, are among the most successful new creations of the period (lot 112).

To pick from the wealth of outstanding Qing imperial porcelains that resulted from this patronage, and assemble a group of works that is coherent in taste and impeccable in quality, meaningful in its selection, and demonstrates the unique style and craftsmanship of China’s imperial potters at that time, demands more than a dilettante interest. It requires a person with a deep understanding of China’s ceramic history and with a personal approach to it. 

J.M. Hu (Hu Jenmou, or Hu Huichun, 1911-1995), the master of the Zande Lou, the Studio of Temporary Enjoyment, had far-reaching but well-focused interests. He appreciated not only the refinement and dignity of China’s greatest imperial ceramics, but equally the sophistication and individuality of Chinese paintings and calligraphies, and the subtlety and wit of items made for China’s literati-scholars. He was one of China’s great connoisseur-collectors in the traditional sense of the word. At the same time he was a patron and benefactor of modern times with a keen awareness of the educational aspect of an art collection. As his studio name, taken from the influential Lanting Preface of Wang Xizhi, already demonstrates, J.M. Hu formed his collection not just for his personal pleasure, but with a bigger picture in mind. His large donations of ceramics to the Shanghai Museum, his generous patronage of the Art Gallery of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and other institutions, his impetus in founding the Min Chiu Society, his promotion of publications, his own publishing, his support of exhibitions and research projects, and his personal involvement and enthusiasm have helped to distribute knowledge and to shape tastes. They have left their mark on a generation of students and art lovers and are continuing to do so. The present collection forms part of the grand legacy of a man who was passionate about Chinese porcelain and determined to share it with others.

Sotheby's. Qing Imperial Monochromes from the J.M. Hu Collection, Hong Kong, 09 Oct 2012 

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