Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, London, 5 November 2019
An inscribed underglaze blue and copper red-decorated brushpot, Kangxi six-character mark and possibly of the period
Lot 188. An inscribed underglaze blue and copper red-decorated brushpot, Kangxi six-character mark in underglaze blue and possibly of the period; 7 ¼ in. (18.5 cm.) diam. Estimate GBP 20,000 - GBP 40,000. Price realised GBP 187,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2019.
The exterior of the brushpot is intricately inscribed in blue with the text Sheng zhu de xian chen song, 'The Divine Emperor Obtains Worthy Officials', ending with a red seal mark reading xi chao chuan gu, which may be translated as 'passing on antiquity from this glorious reign'. The base bears a six-character reign mark to the recessed centre.
Provenance: Acquired by the vendor’s great, great grandfather in China at the turn of the 20th century, thence by descent within the family.
Note: The text Sheng zhu de xian chen song was authored by the Western Han poet Wang Bao (c. 84-53 BCE) for the Han Emperor Xuan (74-49 BCE), in praise of the Emperor's obtainment of able ministers. Compare the present lot to a brushpot with the same inscription which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 28 November 1978, lot 269, then later included in Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Ceramics at the Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and illustrated in the Catalogue, Hong Kong, 1981, no. 112. Another similar brushpot was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 November 1982, lot 170; then again at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 3 October 2018, lot 141.