A very rare pair of large emerald green-back dishes, Yongzheng six-character marks in underglaze blue and of the period
Lot 3272. A very rare pair of large emerald green-back dishes, Yongzheng six-character marks in underglaze blue and of the period (1723-1735); 8 3/8 in. (21.2 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 1,500,000 - HKD 2,500,000. Price realised HKD 2,680,000. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2014.
Each dish is thinly potted with low rounded sides rising from a shallow foot ring to a slightly flared rim, the exterior covered in a brilliant emerald-green glaze applied to the biscuit porcelain, the interior and base covered with a transparent glaze, boxes.
Provenance: The T.Y. Chao Private and Family Trust Collections of Important Chinese Ceramics and Jade Carving: Part I, sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 18 November 1986, lot 98.
Exhibited: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Exhibition of Ch'ing Porcelain from the Wah Kwong Collection, Hong Kong, 1973, Catalogue, no. 36
Hong Kong Museum of Art, Exhibition of Ming and Ch'ing Porcelain from the Collection of T.Y. Chao Family Foundation, Hong Kong, 1978, Catalogue, no. 51.
Note: This exquisite pair of dishes appears to be unique, and no other dish of this translucent emerald-green colour and date is known to be published.
The present pair of dishes can best be compared to an equally rare pair of emerald-green glazed bowls, bearing Yongzheng marks, from the British Rail Pension Fund, sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 16 May 1989, lot 62. As with the current pair of dishes, the pair of bowls appears to be unique. There is also a similarly coloured bowl with incised decoration on the exterior with a Yongzheng six character mark in underglaze blue from the Percival David Foundation, illustrated in Elegant Form and Harmonious Decoration - Four Dynasties of Jingdezhen Porcelain, London, 1992, p. 135, no. 153. There are also in the same collection two small green-glazed dishes with incised Eight Buddhist Emblems on the exterior (inv. B505 & B506), one of which is published in Illustrated Catalogue of Ming and Qing Monochrome Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, Revised Edition, London, 1989, Pl. X.
Christie’s. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 26 November 2014