Lot 893. A large Longquan celadon barbed dish, Ming dynasty, 14th-15th century; 18 ¾ in. (47.5 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 60,000 - USD 80,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2021

The dish is sturdily potted with a tapered foot ring rising to the bracket-lobed cavetto below an everted rim of conforming shape. The dish is covered overall with an even translucent glaze of soft sea-green tone with the exception of the wide ring on the recessed base.

Provenance: Property from the Jingguantang Collection; Christie’s New York, 25 March 1998, lot 191.

Note: The present dish is exceptional for its large size, sophisticated potting and rich, even-colored glaze, and represents some of the most highly-skilled celadon wares produced by craftsmen at the Longquan kilns during the early Ming period. Records from this time suggest that the kilns were under imperial supervision, and it appears that standards of production were exceptionally high in order to meet imperial demand.

An early fifteenth-century dish of similar size to the present dish is illustrated by R. Krahl and J. Ayers, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum Istanbul, Vol. 1, Yuan and Ming Dynasty Celadon Wares, London, 1986, p. 304, no. 245, and another dish of similar size is illustrated in Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1987, no. 591. A similar but larger charger, from the collection of Roger Belanich, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 31 May 2017, lot 3006, and another larger example from the Meiyintang Collection is illustrated by R. Krahl in Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 4, no. 1609, and p. 3, fig. 2b, and was subsequently sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 October 2011, lot 7.

A Massive Barbed Rim Longquan Celadon Charger, Ming Dynasty, Yongle Period (1403-1424), from the Meiyintang Collection. Estimate 1,800,000-2,500,000 HKD. Lot Sold 4,820,000 HKD (619,274 USD) at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 October 2011, lot 7. Photo Sotheby's

Cf. my post: A Massive Barbed Rim Longquan Celadon Charger, Ming Dynasty, Yongle Period (1403-1424)