Lot 2. A teadust-glazed pear-shaped vase, Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795). Height 9¼ in., 23.6 cm.  Estimate 100,000 - 150,000 USD. Lot Sold 177,800 USD. © 2023 Sotheby's

the base incised with a six-character seal mark.

The Cadle Family Collection of Chinese Monochromes

Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 8th May 1980, lot 228.
Robert Chang, Hong Kong.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 20th May 1987, lot 510.
J.J. Lally & Co., New York.

Note: This vase is especially attractive for its lustrous 'teadust' glaze. This type of glaze was an early 18th century innovation, probably introduced in the last years of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, which became particularly popular during the Qianlong period. The glaze is a high-fired crystalline one, with numerous iron and magnesium crystalline particles that have reacted with silicate acid suspended on the glaze surface. The precipitation of the yellow crystal against a dark green background produced what is known as chayemo or 'tea-leaf dust' glaze effect. Perfectly fired vessels in this glaze, such as the present vase, have many small stipples that make the glaze appear particularly rich and velvety to the touch. 

The shape, known as danping, 'gall bladder vase', is rarely found applied with a teadust glaze, however a small number of similar Qianlong period examples is known. Compare one sold at Christie's London, 23rd October 1967, lot 60; and another at Christie's Hong Kong, 30th May 2005, lot 1492. The form is also found applied with a rich aubergine glaze, such as one of the same size and proportions as the present example, but inscribed with the Qianlong mark in underglaze blue, in the Baur Collection, included in the exhibition A Millennium of Monochromes from the Great Tang to the High Qing. The Baur and the Zhuyuetang Collections, Geneva, 2019, cat. no. 111, and another sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 20th May 1987, lot 509.

Lot 3. A fine and extremely rare flambé-glazed Jun-type jar, Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795). Height 7¾ in., 19.8 cm.  Estimate 300,000 - 500,000 USD. Lot Sold 774,700 USD. © 2023 Sotheby's

the base incised with a four-character seal mark.

The Cadle Family Collection of Chinese Monochromes

Provenance: Collection of Joe Yuey (1906-2005).
J.J. Lally & Co., New York, 1987.

Note: Infused with a subtle elegance and technical perfection characteristic of Yongzheng porcelain, jars of this type are extremely rare. Under the Emperor's keen eye, together with his thorough knowledge of the antiquities in the imperial collection, a profusion of experimental glazes on various forms was developed to capture the beauty of celebrated antiquities with a contemporary aesthetic suited to the Emperor's taste.

The form of the present vessel is particularly unusual, with crisply modeled florets applied beneath a raised horizontal rib and everted lipped rim. The transmutation of the glaze as it runs over and around the florets is inspired by early Ming period 'numbered' Jun narcissus planters with 'drum nail' bosses, such as one in the Qing Court Collection included in the exhibition The Enchanting Splendor of Vases and Planters: A Special Exhibition of Flower Vessels from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2014, cat. no. I-04. Reproductions of the Song 'Jun' glaze began at the kilns of Jingdezhen during the Xuande era in the early fifteenth century and were revived on a larger scale under the Yongzheng Emperor, who was particularly partial to Song wares and commissioned copies of Jun wares from the imperial workshops in Jingdezhen. The technical ingenuity and high level of experimentation of the potters working at the imperial kiln is evident in the official list from 1735 as recorded on the Taocheng jishi bei ji [Commemorative Stele on Ceramic Production] inscribed by Tang Ying (1682-1756), the greatest Superintendent of the imperial kilns. This important work records no less than nine varieties of Jun glazes inspired by ancient specimens, of which five were based on Song originals that had been sent from the palace in Beijing to the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen. Tang Ying is known to have gone to considerable lengths to emulate Jun wares of the Song, even sending his secretary, Wu Yaopu, and selected craftsmen to Junzhou in 1729 to work with local potters and thus obtain the recipe for producing Jun glazes. Imperial Qing dynasty Jun-type wares feature a hard body, a trimmed foot covered with a brownish slip and often an impressed or incised mark.

The present jar is exceptionally rare with only three other known examples of the same type. A similar vase is in the National Palace Museum, Taipei (accession no. 故瓷018307N000000000) (fig. 1) and two have sold at auction, the first sold in our London rooms, 11th December 1979, lot 338; and another sold twice in our Hong Kong rooms, on 19th May 1982, lot 270 and again, 18th May 1988, lot 243.

Compare also a Yongzheng period Jun-type jar, broader and squatter than the present example and without the florets or horizontal rib, in the Qing Court Collection, included in the exhibition Harmony and Integrity. The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2013, cat. no. II-56.

This jar was formerly in the collection of Joe Yuey, a well-known patron of the arts in San Francisco. Born in Guangdong province in 1906, he emigrated to the United States in 1923. In 1939, at the Chinese Village at the Golden Gate International Exposition, he was introduced to Langdon Warner, famed curator of the Fogg Museum at Harvard University. Yuey later credited his friendship with Warner for encouraging and guiding his passion for collecting Chinese art. In the 1940s, Joe Yuey also befriended fellow San Francisco collector Avery Brundage and was instrumental in raising funds and donating works of art that formed the foundation for the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco. Yuey also helped create the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, and frequently served on the board of the Chinese American Democratic Club. A rare Qianlong period celadon-glazed revolving six-necked vase from Joe Yuey's collection was sold in these rooms, 21st March 2018, lot 534.

Lot 4. A fine molded celadon-glazed 'floral' bowl, Mark and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735). Diameter 4½ in., 11.5 cm.  Estimate 100,000 - 150,000 USD. Lot Sold 165,100 USD. © 2023 Sotheby's

the base with a six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle.

The Cadle Family Collection of Chinese Monochromes

Provenance: Collection of T.Y. Chao (1912-1999).
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 19th May 1987, lot 281.
J.J. Lally & Co., New York.

Exhibited: Ch'ing Porcelain from the Wah Kwong Collection, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1973, cat. no. 12.
Ming and Ch'ing Porcelain from the Collection of the T.Y. Chao Family Foundation, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1978, cat. no. 56.

Note: The present bowl is remarkable for its delicate glaze, elegant form and refined decorative details, epitomizing the celebrated qualities of sophistication and perfection in Yongzheng porcelains. The luminous, jade-like quality of the celadon glaze, which is deeply rooted in the ceramic tradition of the Song dynasty, encapsulates the Emperor's penchant for these early wares and his insistence on outstanding quality. An exceptional example of the technical and artistic perfection achieved at the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen, the bowl is endowed with a sense of serenity and sumptuousness with the soft tone of the celadon glaze combined with the carefully molded floral scrolls, further incised in detail. 

A closely related example from the George Eumorfopoulos Collection, now preserved in the British Museum, London, is illustrated in R.L. Hobson, The George Eumorfopoulos Collection of Chinese, Corean and Persian Pottery and Porcelain, vol. V, London, 1925, pl. E 314; one, previously in the Harry G. Steele Collection, is now in the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C (accession no. 1972.43.18); one, now in the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago (accession no. 1924.426), was gifted to the museum from the Lucy Maud Buckingham Collection; and another from the Meiyintang Collection, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. II, London, 1994, pl. 856, was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 7th April 2011, lot 23. See also one previously in the collection of Stephen Junkunc III, sold at Christie's New York, 21st September 1995, lot 236; one from the Morton and Grace Gordon Collection, sold in the same rooms, 24th March 2011, lot 1146; and a pair formerly in the Sir Joseph Hotung Family Trust, included in the exhibition Qing Mark and Period Monochrome and Two-Coloured Wares, S. Marchant & Son, London, 1992, cat. no. 14, and sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1st June 2011, lot 3530. 

 

Lot 5. A fine and rare clair-de-lune-glazed apple-shaped jar, Mark and period of Kangxi (1662-1722). Diameter 4⅛ in., 10.5 cm.  Estimate 250,000 - 350,000 USD. Lot Sold 444,500 USD. © 2023 Sotheby's

the base with a six-character mark in underglaze blue.

The Cadle Family Collection of Chinese Monochromes

Provenance: Christie's London, 8th June 1987, lot 280.
J.J. Lally & Co., New York, 1987.

Note: Elegantly potted, the present jar is remarkable for its perfection in form with its generous, rounded sides rising from a concave base to a narrow waisted neck, recessed into the shoulder to form a deep channel around the rim. Equally remarkable is the luminous clair-de-lune glaze that envelops the jar, complementing the rounded form to achieve a balanced harmony. This high-fired lavender-blue glaze, with a cobalt content of about 1%, was first produced by the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen during the Kangxi Emperor's reign (1662-1722). Fittingly termed clair-de-lune ('moon light') in the West by 19th-century French connoisseurs, and as tianlan ('sky blue') in China, it was one of the most ingenious monochrome glazes created in Jingdezhen during the Kangxi reign, reserved exclusively for imperial porcelains. The color remained popular throughout the Qing dynasty, yet the soft and delicate hue of the Kangxi period was never again achieved in later wares. 

Harmonious and sophisticated, the jar epitomizes the Kangxi Emperor's pursuit of quality and technical excellence at the kilns in Jingdezhen. Moreover, the monochrome glaze and its simplicity can also be seen as a nod to ceramics of the Song dynasty, which were praised for their restrained aesthetic refinement.

Vessels of this form in clair-de-lune glaze are rare. See six closely related examples from the George Dunton Widener Collection, assembled in the 19th and early 20th century, four preserved in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (accession nos 1942.9.481, 1942.9.482, 1942.9.490 and 1942.9.491), and published in Virginia Bower et al., The Collections of the National Gallery of Art. Systematic Catalogue: Decorative Arts, Part II: Persian and Indian Rugs and Carpets, Washington, D.C., 1998, pp 93-5, the other two sold at Christie's New York, 16th September 2011, lots 1581 and 1589. Compare one included in the Min Chiu Society exhibition, Monochrome Ceramics of Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1977, cat. no. 50; another in the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, illustrated in Zhongguo taoci quanji / The Complete Works of Chinese Ceramics, Qing, vol. 1, Shanghai, 1999, pl. 114; one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (accession no. 1966.66.206.4), illustrated in Suzanne G. Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989, pl. 240; one in the Baur Collection, Geneva, in John Ayers, The Baur Collection, Geneva: Chinese Ceramics, vol. III, Geneva, 1972, pl. A.319; and lastly one previously in the Meiyintang Collection, exhibited in Evolution to Perfection, Monte Carlo, 1996, cat. no. 147 and illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 4 (II), London, 1994, pl. 1786, and sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 7th April 2013, lot 1.

Lot 6. A fine and extremely rare archaistic white-glazed soft-paste vase, Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795). Height 8 in., 20.4 cm.  Estimate 80,000 - 120,000 USD. Lot Sold 152,400 USD. © 2023 Sotheby's

the base incised with a six-character seal mark, wood stand (2).

The Cadle Family Collection of Chinese Monochromes

Provenance: Collection of Joe Yuey (1906-2005).
J.J. Lally & Co., New York, 1988.

Note: Soft-paste porcelain, which contains admixtures of ground glass, quartz or other materials to the body clay, was originally created in Europe to imitate Chinese porcelain. While not truly 'soft' in paste, it is fired at somewhat lower temperatures than regular, so-called 'hard-paste' porcelain and has a more creamy, mellow appearance. This effect, which differs considerably from typical Chinese porcelain, was deliberately recreated at the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen to echo European wares. An extract from Father d'Entrecolles's second letter of 1722 describing the production of soft-paste porcelains is translated in Rose Kerr, Chinese Ceramics. Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty 1644-1911, London, 1986, pl. 53 where it is noted that it was considerably more expensive to produce than 'ordinary porcelain'.

This exquisite vase displays a perfect melding of focused technical development and informed archaistic influence in its highly refined white glaze suffused with a faint crackle, combined with a shape and decoration based upon ancient bronze vessels. It represents a particular archaistic style seen in porcelains of the Qianlong period, when the Emperor's interest in archaic bronzes and antiques of all types encouraged potters at the imperial kilns to re-interpret the shapes and designs of early bronzes into porcelain. The present vase was likely inspired by the archaic bronze lei of the Western Zhou period (c. 1046 – 771 BC), such as a vessel in the Avery Brundage Collection in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, illustrated in René-Yvon Lefebvre d'Argencé, Bronze Vessels of Ancient China in the Avery Brundage Collection, San Francisco, 1977, pl. XXXVIII.

Whilst many archaistic soft-paste wares of the Qianlong period are carved or molded with designs, the present vase is plain apart from the horizontal bands that encircle the body below the four loop handles. Only one vase of the same type is known, from the Baur Collection in Geneva, illustrated in John Ayers, Chinese Ceramics in the Baur Collection, vol. 2, Geneva, 1999, pl. 308, as well as in the exhibition catalogue A Millennium of Monochromes from the Great Tang to the High Qing. The Baur and the Zhuyuetang Collections, Fondation Baur, Geneva, 2019, cat. no. 198 (fig. 1). A line drawing of the form is illustrated in Geng Baochang, Ming Qing ciqi jianding [Appraisal of Ming and Qing porcelain], Hong Kong, 1993, p. 262, fig. 449.

 fig. 1 An archaistic white-glazed soft-paste vase, Seal mark and period of Qianlong © Fondation Baur, Geneva.

The known difficulty to achieve this glorious and exceptional red color and the mystery shrouding successful firings, surrounded copper-red vessels with a mystique that gave rise to various myths, such as that rubies were used in the glaze (Kerr and Wood, op. cit., p. 565), or, more dramatically, that the intense blood red could only be achieved after a potter – in another version the daughter of a potter – jumped into the kiln themselves.

Lot 10. A pair of fine lavender-glazed bowls, Marks and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735). Diameter 4¾ in., 11.9 cm. Lot Sold 431,800 USD (Estimate 400,000 - 600,000 USD). © 2023 Sotheby's

the base of each with a six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle (2).

The Cadle Family Collection of Chinese Monochromes

Provenance: C.T. Loo, Paris, 1960s (by repute).
Collection of Dorothy Hart Hirshon (1908-1998).
J.J. Lally & Co., New York, 1987.

Note: Bowls of this elegant form and luminous clair-de-lune glaze are an example of the diverse monochrome glazes developed during the early Qing period. This high-fired glaze, with a cobalt content of about 1%, was first produced by the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen during the latter years of the Kangxi Emperor's reign. Known in the West by the 19th-century French connoisseurs' term clair-de-lune ('moon light'), and in China as tianlan ('sky blue'), and sometimes to a slightly darker tone described as 'lavender', it was one of the most successful monochrome glazes created in Jingdezhen and was reserved exclusively for imperial porcelains.

A pair of Yongzheng mark and period bowls covered overall in a clair-de-lune glaze was included as lot 29 in the February 1915 Yamanaka catalogue of Rare and Beautiful Oriental Art Treasures of Supreme Quality, described as having 'a pure and brilliant "clair-de-lune" monochrome of lustrous gray-lilac hue – an exquisite variety of the moonlight glaze'. Another pair was included in the exhibition Chinese Porcelain in the S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1987, cat. no. 148. See also pairs illustrated in Jan Wirgin, Chinese Ceramics from the Axel and Nora Lundgren Bequest, Stockholm, 1978, pl. 57a, no. 75; Qing Porcelain and Works of Art, Osaka City Museum, Osaka, 1994, cat. no. 111 and from the Zhuyuetang Collection, included in the exhibition A Millennium of Monochromes, from the Great Tang to the High Qing, Fondation Baur, Geneva, 2018, cat. nos 87a-b. A pair from the Sir Joseph E. Hotung Family trust was exhibited in Recent Acquisitions, S. Marchant & Son, London, 2002, cat. no. 17, and another single example, formerly in the collection of H.R.N. Norton was included in Imperial Chinese Porcelain, Ceramics & Works of Art, Marchant, London, 2013, cat. no. 26.

For examples sold at auction, see a pair from the E.T. Hall Collection, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 2nd May 2000, lot 529; and a single bowl from the Junkunc Collection, acquired at Parke Bernet, New York, 27th November 1941, lot 561 and later sold at Christie's New York, 21st September 1995, lot 248 and in our Hong Kong rooms, 10th July 2020, lot 3106. Compare also another from the Buckingham Collection, deaccessioned by the Art Institute of Chicago and sold at Christie's New York, 12th September 2019, lot 745.

The present pair of bowls was previously in the collection of Dorothy Hart Hirshon, a New York socialite and philanthropist. Frequently photographed and written about during her glittering earlier marriages to John Randolph Hearst, son of William Randolph Hearst, and William S. Paley, she married Walter Hirshon, a stockbroker, in 1953. After their divorce in 1961, she became increasingly involved in educational and philanthropic endeavors. She was sketched by Matisse, photographed by Cecil Beaton and Horst, listed as one of the world's best-dressed women and featured in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. A single-owner auction of her estate was held in these rooms, 26th September 1998.

Lot 11. An extremely rare and large sacrificial-blue-glazed garlic-mouth vase, Seal mark and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735). Height 17 in., 43.2 cm. Lot Sold 533,400 USD (Estimate 400,000 - 600,000 USD). © 2023 Sotheby's

the base with a four-character seal mark in underglaze blue.

The Cadle Family Collection of Chinese Monochromes

Provenance: Collection of Ralph Thrall King (1855-1926).
Collection of Brigadier General Woods King (1900-1947).
J.J. Lally & Co., New York.

Note: Gracefully proportioned and covered in a brilliantly intense blue glaze, the present vessel is remarkable for its slender, sinuous silhouette, considerable size and vibrant hue. As with many Yongzheng period monochrome wares, this piece displays the prevailing interest in archaism, evident in its shape. Suantouping or 'garlic-mouth' vases are among the most interesting vessel shapes of Chinese porcelain. The form, featuring a distinctive bulbous mouth in the shape of a garlic bulb, was popular in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Generally, imperial porcelain vases during the Qing period were manufactured for decorative purposes or as flower vases. Suantouping, with their typical narrow mouth, were suited to hold one flower or a single fruiting branch. The origin of the 'garlic-mouth' as a decorative element is uncertain, but the porcelain examples are modeled after the archaic bronze hu wine vessel with a mouth distinctively formed of garlic cloves, see Jenny So, Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, New York, 1995, pl. 52, where the hu is attributed to the late Warring States period, 4th-3rd century BC. A fresh aesthetic suited to contemporary tastes has been achieved through the minimalist blue glaze, which also serves to highlight the elegance of the updated form while still paying homage to the past.

The rich jewel-like sapphire-blue glaze seen on the present vase is referred to as 'sacrificial blue'. This name derives from the use of vessels bearing this glaze color during sacrifices at the Imperial Altar of Heaven. As outlined in the exhibition catalogue Blessings and Guidance. The Qianlong Emperor's Design for State Sacrificial Vessels, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2019, p. 27, the Altar of Heaven was linked with the deep blue color of the sky and in 1369, the Hongwu Emperor (r. 1368-1398) issued an edict declaring that vessels on the imperial altars should henceforth be made of porcelain.

The form of this vase is extremely rare, and no other blue-glazed example of this size appears to be recorded. However, other Yongzheng 'sacrificial blue' vessels of comparable size include an ovoid vase (38.4cm high) first sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 9th November 1982, lot 267, and more recently at Christie's Hong Kong, 26th November 2014, lot 3371; an olive-shaped ganlanping from the Gordon Collection (41.3cm) first sold in these rooms, 21st November 1974, lot 324 and subsequently at Christie's New York, 24th March 2011, lot 2516; and a yuhuchunping (36cm) sold at Bonhams London, 6th November 2014, lot 202.

The form of this vase is extremely rare, and no other blue-glazed example of this size appears to be recorded. However, other Yongzheng 'sacrificial blue' vessels of comparable size include an ovoid vase (38.4cm high) first sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 9th November 1982, lot 267, and more recently at Christie's Hong Kong, 26th November 2014, lot 3371; an olive-shaped ganlanping from the Gordon Collection (41.3cm) first sold in these rooms, 21st November 1974, lot 324 and subsequently at Christie's New York, 24th March 2011, lot 2516; and a yuhuchunping (36cm) sold at Bonhams London, 6th November 2014, lot 202.

Ralph Thrall King was a prominent businessman and President of Realty Investment Co., the largest holder of real estate in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, in the early 20th century. Born in 1855 in Monroe County, New York, King graduated from Brown University in 1878 and in his lifetime built a substantial personal art collection, primarily focused on prints and works by James McNeill Whistler. A strong supporter of the Cleveland Museum of Art, he created the Museum's Prints Department where he served voluntarily as curator from 1919 to 1921. Together with his wife, Fanny Tewksbury King of Lexington, Michigan, he donated some 870 works to the museum and was recognized as an important early contributor and founder of the Oriental Art Department.

His son Woods King inherited his passion for real estate, and was also a World War II hero, promoted to brigadier general in 1945. In 1944, King was sent to China to advise and train troops there. He was twice awarded the Legion of Merit for his liaison work in the Chinese theater.

Lot 12. An extremely rare and large sacrificial-blue-glazed garlic-mouth vase, Seal mark and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735). Diameter 5⅞ in., 14.8 cm . Unsold (Estimate 100,000 - 150,000 USD). © 2023 Sotheby's

the base with a six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle, together with a catalogue of the exhibition Ming and Qing Porcelain, Jeiwah's Gallery, Hong Kong, 1987 (2)

The Cadle Family Collection of Chinese Monochromes

Provenance: Christie's London, 3rd December 1973, lot 322.
Hugh Moss, London.
Collection of T.Y. Chao (1912-1999) (by repute).
Jeiwah's Gallery, Hong Kong, 1987.
J.J. Lally & Co., New York, 1987.

Exhibited: Ming and Qing Porcelain, Jeiwah's Gallery, Hong Kong, 1987, cat. no. 34.

Note: Delicately potted with thin walls and an elegantly rounded form, the present bowl is extremely rare on account of its lustrous soft yellow glaze. Differing from the rich 'imperial yellow' that first appeared during the Ming dynasty for use in ritual ceremonies and the vibrant lemon-yellow that was invented during the Yongzheng reign for daily use by the imperial court, this soft yellow hue shows the extraordinary range of tonality in glazes craftsmen working at the kilns in Jingdezhen were able to achieve. 

The glaze of the present bowl evenly covers both the exterior and interior save for the foot rim, a feature less commonly found in Yongzheng yellow-glazed bowls of similar form. In Qing Imperial Monochromes: The Zande Lou Collection, the author notes that 'an archival record dated 1733 of the Yongzheng reign, shows that yellow-glazed bowls and cups were classified by three grades' and wares glazed entirely yellow were reserved exclusively for the emperor, the empress dowager and the empress (see ibid., Hong Kong, 2005, p. 72).

A slightly smaller pair, similarly glazed but of an 'imperial yellow' hue, was sold at Christie's London, 8th December 1986, lot 415. Compare a few of similar form but with a white interior, of a slightly smaller size and 'lemon-yellow' glaze; two sold at Christie's New York, 19th September 2005, lot 282, and 21st March 2013, lot 1184, the latter previously in the Springfield Museums, Springfield; and one sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 26th November 2013, lot 3490. See also a pair with white interiors illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 2, London, 1994, pl. 898.

Lot 13. A robin's egg-glazed censer, Seal mark and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735). Width across handles 8¼ in., 20.8 cm. Lot Sold 1,143,000 USD (Estimate 400,000 - 600,000 USD). © 2023 Sotheby's

the base impressed with a six-character seal mark, together with  Sotheby's Hong Kong catalogs of the Edward T. Chow Collection, Part One: Ming and Qing Porcelain, 25th November 1980, and Part Three: Ming and Qing Porcelain and Works of Art, 19th May 1981 and a Sotheby's Hong Kong catalogue, 20th-21st May 1987 (4)  

And Sotheby's Hong Kong Sotheby's Qiu Yan's Collection Special Auction Catalogue, Sale 1: "Ming and Qing Porcelain", November 25, 1980, Sale 3: "Ming and Qing Porcelain and Works of Art", May 1981 19 May and Sotheby's Hong Kong Catalogue, 20-21 May 1987

The Cadle Family Collection of Chinese Monochromes

Provenance: Collection of Edward T. Chow (1910-1980).
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 19th May 1981, lot 502.
Robert Chang, Hong Kong.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 20th May 1987, lot 516.
J.J. Lally & Co., New York.

Note: 'Along with the varied splashes, [the glaze] cascades down in fluid streaks all varied in length, some straight, some curved, others like the fog among the mountains, and the mist amidst the clouds... Likened to the colorful tail of a peacock , immaculate and beautiful' Geng Baochang, Ming Qing ciqi jianding [Appraisal of Ming and Qing porcelain], Hong Kong, 1993, p. 255. 

Geng's expressive commentary on the 'robin's egg' glaze found on vessels made during the Yongzheng period perfectly encapsulates the remarkable quality of this brilliant glaze. Developed at Jingdezhen under the pioneering direction of the official Tang Ying, who is known to have in the ailstudi The finest imperial porcelains of the Song dynasty, the 'robin's egg' glaze was created as a reinterpretation of the famous Jun glazes of the Song. Known as lujun (' furnace Jun') in China, the glaze was fired at a lower temperature than that of the porcelain itself and required a second firing. In Taocheng jishi [Records of ceramic production], written by Tang Ying in 1735, the last year of the Yongzheng reign, lujunglaze is listed first among the nineteen major types of ceramics he had succeeded in firing and proposed as suitable for regular delivery to the imperial court. Although the production of 'robin's egg' glaze continued until the end of the Qing dynasty, the finest pieces created in the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods.

Similar to his father, the Kangxi Emperor, the Yongzheng Emperor took a keen interest in the work of the various imperial manufactures across his empire and the production of the Jingdezhen imperial kilns in particular; yet unlike his father, the workshop's artistic direction of infection was heavy by his personal taste. From fine-tuning shapes to ideal, harmonious proportions, developing sophisticated yet uncontrived designs, to taking the best works of the past as standards to aspire to, he achieved, together with Tang Ying, a porcelain production of a distinctive style and material refinement unmatched in any other period. 

Indeed, the present censer is a testament to the fine potting, exquisite glaze and elegant form that Yongzheng imperial ceramics are known for, all contributing to a refined subtlety that reflects the temperament of the Emperor himself. The thick glaze is evenly applied to the handsome Censer and its varied, mottled design achieves a sense of timeless elegance. The turquoise is further heightened with violet-red streaks, attributing the present censer to a group of highly regarded 'robin's egg' wares believed to represent the best of their type. to Nanyao biji[Notes of the Southern Kiln], composed during the Qianlong reign, wares with violet-red streaks in the glaze were deemed to be of the best quality, whereas ones with blue streaks were of a lesser standard. Furthermore, Geng likes the color of the violet-red cascades to red millet, stating that this characteristic only persisted until the early years of Qianlong, making it a reliable method for dating wares of this type (see ibid .). 

Compare several closely related examples: one included in the Min Chiu Society exhibition Monochrome Ceramics of Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties , Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1977, cat. no. 108; one in the Zande Lou Collection, illustrated in  Qing Imperial Monochromes of the Zande Lou Collection , Hong Kong, 2005, pl. 22; and another, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 23rd October 2005, lot 305, and again at Christie's Hong Kong, 25th November 2014, lot 2950.

"... various vertical stripes of different lengths, some vertical, some curved, and some like mountains and mist clouds... are as neat and beautiful as colorful peacock tail feathers." Geng Baochang, "Ming and Qing Porcelain Appraisal", Hong Kong, 1993, p. 255.

The above is Mr. Geng Baochang's comments on Lujun glaze wares made in the Yongzheng period. His vivid description allows readers to fully feel the dazzling splendor of Lujun glaze. It is said that Tang Ying, the pottery supervisor, once studied the treasures of imperial porcelain in the Song Dynasty in depth. Under his supervision, the imperial kiln in Jingdezhen in the Qing Dynasty developed Jun glaze inspired by the Jun kiln of the Song Dynasty. The temperature of the glaze in the firing furnace needs to be lower than the firing temperature of the porcelain itself, and it needs to be put into the kiln twice. Tang Ying recorded in "Taocheng Jishi" written in 1735 at the end of the Yongzheng Dynasty that Lujun Glaze was the first of 19 kinds of official porcelains successfully fired during his tenure, and he suggested that it should be presented to the court regularly. Lujun porcelain continued to be fired until the late Qing Dynasty, but the finest quality treasures were all from the Yongzheng and Qianlong dynasties.

Emperor Kangxi paid great attention to the production of royal works, and his successor Emperor Yongzheng also inherited Kangxi's enthusiasm for art and literature, and paid special attention to the operation of Jingdezhen imperial kilns. The difference between Yongzheng and his father Kangxi is that the former's personal taste had a considerable influence on the artistic style of the imperial kiln. Regardless of the shape, proportion, decoration, etc., Yongzheng always respected the subtle and elegant porcelain, and took the ancient rare porcelain as the standard. Tang Ying, the pottery supervisor, developed a unique artistic style according to the emperor's wishes, and the porcelain made of high-quality materials , Disregard ancient and modern times.

This product can very well demonstrate the characteristics of fine glaze, light and exquisite body, elegant lines and elegant style of Yongzheng imperial porcelain body, and these characteristics are in line with the restrained temperament of Emperor Yongzheng. The incense burner has a beautiful shape, thick and uniform glaze, and the mottled color creates a timeless elegance. The burgundy stripes on the glaze contrast with the turquoise colour, and from this feature it can be inferred that the furnace belongs to a highly regarded group of Jun ware, widely regarded as the best of its kind. According to the "Nan Kiln Notes" during the Qianlong period, the glaze with purple-red stripes is the top grade, and the glaze with blue stripes is the second. In addition, Mr. Geng Baochang compared the purple-red vertical stripes to red millet, noting that this feature was no longer seen after the early years of Qianlong, making it a reliable method of dating such artifacts (ibid.).

Refer to a few related recent examples: one of them was exhibited in Minqiu Jingshe's exhibition "Ming and Qing Dynasty One Color Glazed Porcelain", Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1977, No. 108; Qing Dynasty Official Kiln Monochrome Glazed Porcelain", Hong Kong, 2005, pl. 22; see also an example, sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 23 October 2005, lot 305, and changed hands again at Christie's Hong Kong, 25 November 2014 date, number 2950.

 

Lot 14. A fine peachbloom-glazed brush washer, Mark and period of Kangxi (1662-1722). Diameter 4⅝ in., 11.7 cm. Lot Sold 279,400 USD (Estimate 200,000 - 300,000 USD). © 2023 Sotheby's

the base with a six-character mark in underglaze blue.

The Cadle Family Collection of Chinese Monochromes.

Provenance: Marchant, London.
JJ Lally & Co., New York, 1987.

Note: In 1957, Ralph M. Chait published his influential essay 'The Eight Prescribed Peachbloom Shapes Bearing K'ang Hsi Marks', beautifully summarizing the famous peachbloom glaze found on Kangxi imperial ware: 'its softly luminous velvety texture and color tone…liked to " the coloring of the rind of a peach ripening in the sun"' (see Oriental Art , vol. III, no. 4, Winter 1957, p. 130). Indeed, the understated elegance of the peachbloom glaze is perfectly exemplified in this present washer – its dark-red flecks subtly emerging from an attractive peach-pink ground.

With its wide range of tones and varied effects, the peachbloom glaze ranks among the most important innovations developed by the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen. After a period of standstill that lasted nearly sixty years from the end of the Wanli period, the then imperial kilns at J were revived and placed under the direct control of the court. The appointment of Zang Yingxuan as supervisor of the imperial kilns and his arrival at Jingdezhen in the 20th year of Kangxi's reign, corresponding to 1681, initiated a new era of high-quality production coup with technical innovation.

Largely abandoned after the reign of the Xuande Emperor due to the difficulty in firing, copper pigment was rediscovered by the kilns during the Kangxi period with a newfound appreciation of the serendipitous effects that the elusive pigment produced during firing. , copper-lime was sprayed onto the surface of the vessel through a bamboo tube that had a piece of gauze at one end, 'sandwiched' between two layers of clear glaze. This technique allowed for a wide spectrum of natural effects, 'ranging from the deep muted tones of ashes-of-roses and the apple-red to the lighter luminous glowing peach-pink' ( ibid .).

The delicately potted, low, round form of the present washer is particularly complementary to the lustrous glaze and many of these washers are included in important international museums and private collections. A closely related washer in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Kangxi , Yongzheng, Qianlong. Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection , Hong Kong, 1989, pl. 123; one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, is illustrated with a group of peachbloom-glazed vessels in Suzanne Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics , New York, 1989, pl. 236; two from the collection of Peter AB Widener, in the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, are published in Virginia Bower et al.,The Collections of the National Gallery of Art. Systematic Catalog: Decorative Arts , Part I, Washington, 1998, pls 72-3; one in the Baur Collection is illustrated in John Ayers, The Baur Collection , vol. 3, Geneva , 1972, pl. A309; another, from the Sir Percival David Collection and now in the British Museum, London, is included in Rosemary Scott, Illustrated Catalog of Ming and Ch'ing Monochrome Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art , London, 1989, pl. B582; and a further example, of a darker-red tone, in the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, is illustrated in The Complete Works of Chinese Ceramics, Qing , vol. 14, Shanghai, 1999, pl. 105.

Many have also appeared at auction over the years. See three from the Edward T. Chow Collection, one illustrated in Cecile and Michel Beurdeley, La Céramique Chinoise , Friborg, 1974, pl. 98, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 17th May 1988 , lot 61; one entered the MC Wang Collection and was sold at Christie's New York, 19th March 2008, lot 636; and the last was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th April 2009, lot 1657. Compare another washer included in a set of eight peachbloom-glazed vessels from the Tsui Museum of Art, illustrated in The Tsui Museum of Art: Chinese Ceramics, vol. IV: Qing, Hong Kong, 1993, pl. 6, and sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 3rd November 1996, lot 557. More recently, see one suffused with pale green speckles, previously in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, sold at Christie's New York, 11th September 2019, lot 726; one with mottling of lighter pink and green shades, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 4th June 2020, lot 532; and lastly, one of a brilliant crimson glaze, sold in these rooms, 21st September 2021, lot 140.

In 1957, the famous antique dealer Ralph M. Chait published the article "The Eight Prescribed Peachbloom Shapes Bearing K'ang Hsi Marks", which had a profound impact on the study of cowpea red glaze wares. It outlined the cowpea red glaze created by the official kiln in the Kangxi period: "The color is light and soft, and the enamel is fine and even like velvet...it has the color of the skin of a ripe peach in the sun" (see "Oriental Art", Vol. 3, No. 4, Winter 1957, p. 130). Admittedly, the outer wall of this product is pink, with dark red spots, and the shape of the vessel perfectly shows this elegant and impressive glaze color.

Cowper red glaze has ever-changing colors and mottled blends. It can be regarded as one of the important products created and fired by Jingdezhen official kilns. At the end of the Wanli period, the official kilns in Jingdezhen gradually stopped firing. Nearly 60 years later, the Qing court resumed the imperial kilns in the local area and directly sent personnel to supervise Tao Zheng. In the 20th year of Kangxi, Zang Yingxuan was ordered to go to Jingdezhen to serve as a pottery supervisor, creating a prosperous era of porcelain making in a new dynasty. 

Copper red firing techniques are extremely difficult, and the number of good products is very small. After Xuande, the firing was almost abandoned. It was not until the potters developed new techniques during the Kangxi period that re-firing was seen and achieved. In order to control the flow of glaze during kiln firing, potters first use transparent glaze as a base on the green body, then use a bamboo tube tied with fine gauze at one end to dip in the glaze, blow air from the other end, and blow the glaze to the surface of the vessel. Cover the transparent glaze again and put it into the kiln for firing. This technique allows the glaze to produce a natural and varied range of shades, ranging “from rich dry rose, apple red to peachy pink” (supra).

The body of this product is oblate, small and elegant, with smooth lines, which complement the lustrous glaze. Many of these porcelain washers have been collected in important museums around the world or become private collections. A recent example from the Palace Museum, Beijing, is shown in Catalog of Kangxi, Yongqian and Qianlong Porcelain from the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1989, pl. 123; another example is also in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, along with a group of cowpea red-glazed "Eight Sizes", Illustrated by Suzanne Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989, pl. 236; two other examples from the former collection of Peter AB Widener, now in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, in Virginia Bower et al., The Collections of the National Gallery of Art. Systematic Catalog: Decorative Arts, Vol. 1, Washington, 1988, pls. 72 and 73; for another example, from the Baur Collection, illustrated by John Ayers, The Baur Collection, vol. 3. Geneva, 1972, plate A309; Another example, from the former collection of Sir David, now in the British Museum, London, contained in Su Meigui, "Illustrated Catalog of Ming and Ch'ing Monochrome in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art", London, 1989, pl. B582; a case from the Shanghai Museum, darker red in color than the present one, in The Complete Works of Chinese Ceramics: Qing Dynasty, vol. 14, Shanghai, 1999, pl. 105.

Over the years, many cowper red glaze boring and gong washes have also appeared in auctions. See three examples from the old collection of Qiu Yan, one of which is shown in Cecile and Michel Beurdeley, "La Céramique Chinoise", Fribourg, 1974, plate 98, sold in Sotheby's Hong Kong, May 17, 1988, cat. 61; the second was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, April 8, 2009, lot 1657; the third was once in the collection of Wang Mengzhong, and sold at Christie's New York, March 19, 2008, lot 636. As another example, a group of cowpea red glaze "eight yards" once belonged to the Xu Art Museum, illustrated in "Xu Art Museum: Ceramics", Volume 4: Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1993, plate 6, after sale Sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 3 November 1996, lot 557. In recent years, there are also several examples in the market for reference. One of the glazes is covered with light green moss spots, which was collected by the Art Institute of Chicago and later sold at Christie’s New York, September 11, 2019, lot 726; the second has pink and green moss spots. Sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 4th June 2020, lot 532; and the third with a delicate and fresh color, sold at Sotheby's New York, 21st September 2021, lot 140.

 

Lot 15. A copper-red-glazed pear-shaped vase (Yuhuchunping), Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795). Height 11¾ in., 29.8 cm. Lot Sold 177,800 USD (Estimate 60,000 - 80,000 USD). © 2023 Sotheby's

the base with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue.

The Cadle Family Collection of Chinese Monochromes.

Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 19th November 1982, lot 269.

Note: This vase is notable for its vibrant copper-red glaze and its even tone which accentuates the graceful curves of its elegant form. A notoriously difficult pigment to fire, the use of copper was largely abandoned after the 15th century as the slightest irregularity in any of the production resulted in an undesirable and uneven color. Yet, with the technical advances made at the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen from the early Qing dynasty onwards, by the Qianlong reign, potters were able to accomplish a previously unattained command over the pigment to successfully Create a number of monochrome vessels with a strong and even red tone, such as the present vase.

Copper-red vases of this type are held in important museums and private collections worldwide: see one in the Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, included in the Museum's exhibition Chinese Arts of the Ming and Ch'ing Periods , 1963,  cat . no. 440 ; one in the Nanjing Museum, Nanjing, illustrated in  The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, pl. 346; another sold in these rooms, 17th September 2003, lot 100, later entering the Songzhutang Collection, and sold again in the same rooms, 15th September 2015, lot 85. Further Qianlong copper-ase red glaz of this type include one from the Gordon Collection, sold at Christie's New York, 24th March 2011, lot 1144; and another sold in our London rooms, 17th December 1996, lot 134, and again in our Hong Kong rooms, 3rd October 2017, lot 3654.

Lot 16. A crisply molded 'Ding' 'mandarin ducks' dish, Northern Song -Jin dynasty (960-1234). Diameter 5⅜  in., 14.3 cm. Lot Sold 177,800 USD (Estimate 80,000 - 100,000 USD). © 2023 Sotheby's

together with a Sotheby's London catalogue of the Edward T. Chow Collection, Part Two: Early Chinese Ceramics and Ancient Bronzes, 16th December 1980 (2).

The Cadle Family Collection of Chinese Monochromes.

Provenance: Collection of Edward T. Chow (1910-1980).
Sotheby's London, 16th December 1980, lot 255.
Collection of T.Y. Chao (1912-1999).
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 19th May 1987, lot 222.
J.J. Lally & Co., New York.

Literature: Jan Wirgin, Sung Ceramic Designs, Stockholm, 1970, pl. 97b. 

Lot 17. A small 'Ding' truncated meiping, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127). Height 3 in., 7.6 cm. Lot Sold 20,320 USD (Estimate 20,000 - 30,000 USD). © 2023 Sotheby's

The Cadle Family Collection of Chinese Monochromes.

Provenance: Collection of Edward T. Chow (1910-1980).
Sotheby's London, 16th December 1980, lot 249.
Sotheby's New York, 4th December 1985, lot 129.

Note: This particularly elegant form of a truncated meiping, enhanced by its warm ivory glaze, with only a single incised line for decoration, is a rare example produced by the Ding kilns. White truncated meiping are more commonly found amongst Cizhou wares, made relatively close by in southern Hebei province. The Ding versions are differentiated by their much more refined material and workmanship, being thinly potted from near-white clay. Compare Cizhou examples, including one illustrated in the 15th Anniversary Catalogue, Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, 1981, pl. 699; and another from the Frederick M. Mayer Collection, sold at Christie's London, 24th-25th June 1974, lot 28. 

Compare a Ding truncated meiping decorated in a rare brown-and-white sgraffiato technique in National Museum of Asian Art, Washington, D.C., illustrated in Oriental Ceramics. The World's Great Collections, vol.9, Tokyo, New York, and San Francisco, 1982, col. pl. 26. 

 

Lot 18. A blue-glazed cup, Qing dynasty, 18th century. Diameter 2⅜ in., 6 cm . Lot Sold 20,320 USD (Estimate 6,000 - 8,000 USD). © 2023 Sotheby's

the base with a Jingweitang zhi hall mark in underglaze blue within a double square 

The Cadle Family Collection of Chinese Monochromes.

Provenance: Collection of Edward T. Chow (1910-1980).

Note: According to Yinliuzhai shuoci [Commentary on Porcelain from the Studio of Drinking Streams], composed by Xu Zhiheng, the Jingweitang hall mark was used by princes of the royal family during the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods. The hall name, translating to 'Made for the Hall of Veneration of Respect,' may have been used for several generations as pieces bearing this hall mark were not only produced during the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods, but also during the reigns of the Jiaqing and Daoguang Emperors. In the exhibition catalogue Rare Marks on Chinese Ceramics, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1998, Ming Wilson quotes Wang Qingzheng to suggest that the Jingweitang mark may have belonged to the Manchu high official Agedunbu at one point (see p. 114), while the British Museum attributes the hall mark to Li Hu (alias Duanren, style name Zhucun), a native of Cixi, a city within the sub-provincial city of Ningbo, Zhejiang province.

See a blue-glazed cup and saucer bearing the same hall mark, previously in the E.T. Hall Collection, sold at Christie's London, 6th June 2004, lot 161; and a blue-glazed bowl, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 1st December 2016, lot 831. Vessels with the same mark, but with a celadon glaze and brown rim include a bowl and a dish, attributed to the 18th century, in the Sir Percival David Collection, now in the British Museum, London (accession nos PDF.532 and PDF,A.568); a bowl included in the Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition, op. cit., cat. no. 47; a dish published in Margaret Medley, Illustrated Catalogue of Ming and Qing Monochrome Wares, London, 1989, cat. no. A568; and a pair of ogee-form dishes sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th October 2019, lot 109, from the collection of Sir Quo-Wei Lee II.

Lot 19. A pair of rare anhua-decorated doucai conical bowls, Qing dynasty, Kangxi-Yongzheng period (1662-1735). Diameter 2⅜ in., 6 cm . Lot Sold 60,960 USD (Estimate 20,000 - 30,000 USD). © 2023 Sotheby's

the base of each inscribed with an apocryphal Chenghua six-character mark in underglaze blue, wood stands (4).

The Cadle Family Collection of Chinese Monochromes.

Provenance: Collection of Edward T. Chow (1910-1980).
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 19th May 1981, lot 558.
Spink & Son Ltd., London.
Sotheby's New York, 19th November 1982, lot 301.

Note: Finely painted in a Ming style with the poet, painter and calligrapher Mi Fu bowing toward a large garden rock, flanked by an attendant besides, the present pair of conical cups is extremely rare. The painting style and doucai palette is based on Chenghua period porcelain. Although no exact prototpe appears to exist, compare a small blue and white cup painted with the calligrapher Wang Xizhi observing geese, together with his son Wang Xianzhi, attributed to the late Chenghua period, illustrated in A Legacy of Chenghua. Imperial Porcelain of the Chenghua Reign Excavated from Zhushan, Jingdezhen, The Tsui Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1993, cat. no. C54.

Finely painted in a Ming style with the poet, painter and calligrapher Mi Fu bowing toward a large garden rock, flanked by an attendant besides, the present pair of conical cups is extremely rare. The painting style and doucai palette is based on Chenghua period porcelain. Although no exact prototpe appears to exist, compare a small blue and white cup painted with the calligrapher Wang Xizhi observing geese, together with his son Wang Xianzhi, attributed to the late Chenghua period, illustrated in A Legacy of Chenghua. Imperial Porcelain of the Chenghua Reign Excavated from Zhushan, Jingdezhen, The Tsui Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1993, cat. no. C54.

Compare a pair of conical cups of the same form and design, although slightly larger in size (9.8cm diameter) sold four times in our Hong Kong rooms, 16th November 1973, lot 204; 16th May 1977, lot 138; 24th May 1979, lot 630 and 13th November 1990, lot 338. Conical doucai cups of this type are more commonly found with the design of boys at play in a garden terrace, such as a pair from the Koger Collection, illustrated in John Ayers, Chinese Ceramics. The Koger Collection, London, 1985, pls 117 and 118, sold at Christie's New York, 19th September 2006, lot 347; and another sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 19th January 1988, lot 292.  

 

Lot 20. A celadon-glazed ovoid jar, Seal mark and period of Daoguang. Height 7 ½ in., 18.9 cm. Lot Sold 25,400 USD (Estimate 10,000 - 15,000 USD). © 2023 Sotheby's

the base with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue, together with a Sotheby's New York catalogue, 19th November 1982 (2).

The Cadle Family Collection of Chinese Monochromes.

Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 19th November 1982, lot 267.

Note: This vessel form, with its harmonious profile and its C-shaped motifs on the sides appears to have originated during the Kangxi reign. The shape is often called riyueguan ('sun-and-moon jar'), its cover supposedly representing the sun and the crescents at its sides the moon, but no comparable iconography appears to be known from other works of art. A rare Kangxi version of this design in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is included in the Museum's exhibition Catalog of the Special Exhibition of K'ang-hsi, Yung-cheng and Ch'ien-lung Porcelain Ware from the Ch'ing Dynasty in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1986, cat. no. 27.

A closely related jar and cover from the Meiyintang Collection was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 4th April 2012, lot 14; and another, similarly with a cover, from the T.Y. Chao Collection, was sold in the same rooms, 19th May 1987, lot 283; one without a cover in the Hong Kong Museum of Art was included in the Museum's exhibition The Wonders of the Potter's Palette. Qing Ceramics from the Collection of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1984, cat. no. 79.

Lot 21. A molded Qingbai 'phoenix' bowl, Southern Song-Yuan dynasty. Diameter 6 ½ in., 16.7 cm. Lot Sold 15,240USD (Estimate 10,000 - 15,000 USD). © 2023 Sotheby's

the base with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue, together with a Sotheby's New York catalogue, 19th November 1982 (2).

The Cadle Family Collection of Chinese Monochromes.

Provenance: J.J. Lally & Co., New York, 1988.

Note: Bowls of this design include an example illustrated in Jan Wirgin, Sung Ceramic Design, London, 1979, pl. 26b; another in the Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, illustrated in George J. Lee, Selected Far Eastern Art in the Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven and London, 1970, pl. 34, where the author mentions a similar bowl found in a Southern Song tomb datable to A.D. 1213 at Zhudaochuan. Another in the Barlow Collection, now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, was included in the Exhibition of ChineseArt, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1935, cat. no. 943 and the Mostra d'ArteCinese / Exhibition of Chinese Art, Palazzo Ducale, Venice, 1954, cat. no. 573 and is illustrated in Michael Sullivan, Chinese Ceramics, Bronzes and Jadesin the Collection of Sir Alan and Lady Barlow, London, 1963, pl. 117c. Another example from the Paul Tuller and Brodie Lodge Collections was included in the Oriental Ceramics Society exhibition The Arts of the Sung Dynasty, London, 1960, cat. no. 204.

A bowl of the same type from the T.Y. Chao Collection was offered in our Hong Kong rooms, 18th November 1986, lot 16. A slightly larger bowl from the Edward T. Chow Collection sold in our London rooms, 16th December 1980, lot 278.

Lot 22. An extremely rare green-glazed zhadou, Liao dynasty (907-1125). Diameter 7 ⅛ in., 18 cm. Lot Sold 20,320 USD (Estimate 8,000 - 12,000 USD). © 2023 Sotheby's

the base with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue, together with a Sotheby's New York catalogue, 19th November 1982 (2).

The Cadle Family Collection of Chinese Monochromes.

Provenance: Collection of Ip Che.
Sotheby's New York, 3rd June 1987, lot 166.
J.J. Lally & Co., New York.

Exhibited: Anthology of Chinese Art: Min Chiu Society Silver Jubilee Exhibition, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1985, cat. no. 124. 

Note: The distinctive form of the present vessel, with its globular body and flaring dished mouth, is usually referred to as a leys jar, or zhadou. The function of such vessels is still open to debate but was probably used as a waste receptacle for wine dregs or tea leaves. They were popular in Northern China during the Tang and Liao dynasties where they were produced by various kilns. The ceramic models were likely inspired by metalwork prototypes, such as two Tang silver zhadou illustrated in Tangdai Jinyin Qi [Gold and silver wares from the Tang dynasty], Beijing, 1985, pls 255 and 278. The present zhadou follows the tradition of earlier Tang dynasty ceramics. The Liao dynasty was founded in 907 AD by the Qidan, a semi-nomadic people from Manchuria. Whilst the Qidan had no glazed pottery tradition of their own, they quickly adopted the sponsorship of kilns in their occupied territories of present-day Hebei province, and parts of Manchuria and Inner Mongolia and employed Chinese potters. Liao ceramics continued many Tang ceramic traditions, including the application of a slip, whilst leaving a band of natural clay exposed. The rich emerald-green glaze is one of the three lead glazes used for the sancai wares of the Tang. 

Liao green-glazed zhadou are exceptionally rare. Compare examples from other kilns, including an earlier white-glazed Tang dynasty example from the Carl Kempe Collection, extensively exhibited, including in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibitions The Arts of the T'ang Dynasty, London, 1955, cat. no. 212 and Collectors, Curators, Connoisseurs: A Century of the Oriental Ceramic Society 1921-2021, London, 2021, cat. no. 51. See also a white-glazed Ding zhadou, excavated in Inner Mongolia, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Ceramic Art Unearthed in China, vol. 4, Beijing, 2008, pl. 52. 

Lot 23. A small and rare red glass zhadou, Mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795). Height 2 in., 5.2 cm. Lot Sold 17,780 USD (Estimate 10,000 - 15,000 USD). © 2023 Sotheby's

the base incised with a four-character mark within a double square.

The Cadle Family Collection of Chinese Monochromes.

Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 20th May 1987, lot 611.
J.J. Lally & Co., New York, 1987.

Note: The present zhadou is unique in its small size, ovoid body and short flaring neck. Qianlong reign-marked zhadou of a larger size with a longer neck and a more compressed body are more commonly known: see a realgar-imitation example sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1st June 2011, lot 3798, and a yellow glass zhadou from the collection of Alan Feen, included in the exhibition A Chorus of Colors, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, San Francisco, 1995, cat. no. 61, and sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 24th November 2010, lot 203.

For a Yongzheng reign-marked yellow glass zhadou of larger size and fluted form in the Palace Museum, Beijing, see Luster of Autumn Water. Glass of the Qing Imperial Workshop, Beijing, 2005, no. 11.

Sotheby's. Celestial Colors. The Cadle Family Collection of Chinese Monochromes, New York, 21 March 2023