Lot 3634. A fine Famille-Rose ‘Bird and Prunus’ meiping, Qing dynasty, Shendetang zhi mark, Daoguang period (1821-1850); ; 26 cm., 10 1/4  in. Estimate 5,000,000 — 7,000,000 HKD. Lot Sold 8,440,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby’s.

robustly potted with high rounded shoulders tapering to a slightly galleried foot, the voluptuous body delicately painted with a bird, possibly a magpie, perched on a branch bearing prunus buds and blossoms of various sizes, the bird intricately detailed with multi-coloured wing feathers and elongated tail subtly washed with subtle enamels of pale green and royal blue, wonderfully complementing its lavender-purple breast and abdomen, its plumage meticulously picked out, the knotty and burly prunus branches extending from above the foot and extending across the vessel, the recessed base inscribed in iron-red with a four-character Shendetang zhi hallmark (‘Made for the Hall of Prudent Virtue’).

Formerly categorised as ‘Important Art Object’.

Exhibited: Chūgoku Meishin Bijutsuten Mokuroku / Chinese Arts of the Ming and Ch’ing Periods, Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, 1963, cat. no. 445.

Literature: Touki zuroku [Catalogue of pottery], vol. 8: Shinahen [On China], part 2, Tokyo, 1938, cat. no. 116.
Chūgoku no touji [Chinese pottery], Tokyo, 1955, cat. no. 106.
Sekai tōji zenshū / Collection of World’s Ceramics, vol. 12: Shinchou henfu Annan, Thai / Ch’ing Dynasty with a Supplement on Annamese Ceramics, Tokyo, 1956, pl. 101.
Touki zenshū [Collection of pottery], vol. 16: Shinchou no Kanyou [Official kilns from Qing dynasty], Tokyo, 1967, cat. no. 61.
Tōji taikei  / Complete Collection of the Far Eastern Ceramics, vol. 46: Shin no kanyou / Fine Enamelled Ware of Official Kilns of Ching Dynasty, Tokyo, 1973, pl. 34.
Mayuyama, Seventy Years, vol. 1, Tokyo, 1976, pl. 1072.

Note: The vibrantly rendered design of a bird, probably a magpie, perched on a prunus branch is remarkable for its freely applied washes of enamel which are subtly flecked with intricate detail, as seen in the feathers of the bird and prunus branches. In its painterly composition it immediately recalls designs of the early Ming and Yongzheng periods and epitomises the developments in ceramic design during the Daoguang period. Moving away from the ornamental styles popularised from the end of the Qianlong period, stylised formal patterns and geometric designs were replaced by gardens scenes with dogs, children at play, and flora and fauna in the Yongzheng style.

The Daoguang Emperor was known as a prudent, kind and frugal ruler; however one area he chose to invest heavily was the Yuanmingyuan. The financial review of the Yuanmingyuan in 1824 showed significant surplus; thus the ample money available allowed Daoguang to construct the Shendetang (‘Hall of Prudent Virtue’), the new living quarters, in 1830, which were completed in 1831. The Hall featured three connecting wave roofs on a square-shaped structure, hence showing a distinct character that was markedly different from the more rigid Confucian-inspired architecture. The greater degree of freedom in arrangement and design reflects the style of porcelain that was lavishly produced for the Hall. Daoguang pieces inscribed with the Shendetang mark are attributable to the two decades between 1831 and 1850 and are often characterised by novel designs.

Shengdetang inscribed porcelains decorated in a related style include a vase, decorated with swallows flying above a blossoming apricot tree, included in the exhibition Ethereal Elegance. Porcelain Vases of the Imperial Qing. The Huaihaitang Collection, Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2007, cat. no. 141; a vase painted with a scene of children at play, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelains with Cloisonné Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 185; and a pair of spoons enamelled with peach branches and cranes, included in the exhibition Imperial Porcelain of Late Qing, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1983, cat. no. 43.

The present bird-and-flower motif is well-known from the Yongle and Xuande reigns, a motif that was revitalised through the use of famille-rose enamels under the Yongzheng Emperor. The artist of the present vase has employed the ‘boneless style’ in the depiction of the bird, a style that emphasised washes rather than line. This technique was first employed on porcelain during the Yongzheng reign and was inspired by the flower paintings on Yun Shouping (1633-90), one of Chinese most celebrated painters. Yun’s novel and unique manner of painting included the use of strong and bold colours, such as reds, purples and bright greens traditionally considered flashy.  See also a Yongzheng meiping enamelled in a related style, depicting a lotus pond with birds, from Strathgarry House, Scotland, offered in these rooms, 8th October 2008, lot 2599.

Sotheby’s. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 08 oct. 2014