© Christie's Images Ltd 2025.

By the early Ming dynasty, blue and white porcelain was a staple item in imperial orders for porcelain from Jingdezhen. Different patterns were required for different departments within the palace, and for different functions. For example, the Court of Imperial Entertainments, in charge of catering for official functions, is recorded as making requests for plain white wares with blue dragon and phoenix decoration from the beginning of the Xuande reign (1426-35). The splendid blue and white meiping from the Chang Foundation was itself used in dining, for meiping were vessels for holding wine. Meiping were heavily potted in their lower sections, in order to provide stability when filled with liquid. There was widespread manufacture of various wines and distilled spirits by the end of the Yuan dynasty, and this continued into the Ming, leading to the need for elegant drinking accoutrements.

The meiping is painted with a scroll-like design of a garden landscape, with bamboo, plantain and rocks. The degree of control in the utilisation of the underglaze cobalt blue is remarkable, and was a competence only achieved by the Yongle period. Cobalt has a tendency to run and blur into the underlying body, giving rise to the renowned “heaped and piled” effect in which darker blotches of colour appear across painted areas. The effect can be seen in a few places in the garden scene, and also in the darker outlines round elements in the pattern bands. The pattern bands, one above and two below the main field, derive from schemes that were in use from the Yuan dynasty onwards, when blue painting first appeared. At the base is a thin band of classic scroll, with above it a band of raised petal panels, each holding a single bloom. Round the shoulder beneath the neck is a band of shaped ogival panels, each containing a flower. Margaret Medley has written that such ogival panels were dependent on Islamic tradition. Because the earliest blue and white was developed almost exclusively for the Middle Eastern market, many designs were not Chinese in conception but dependent on Islamic motifs.

In fact, the appearance of blue-and-white porcelain during the second quarter of the fourteenth century heralded a fundamentally new direction for Chinese ceramics. As technical expertise in potting grew, pieces became larger and shapes more dramatic. Designs in brilliant blue against a dazzling white ground were much more conspicuous than previous monochrome, muted tones of Song and early Yuan dynasty wares. Influence for the changes seems initially to have come from the Middle East, by means of trade connections forged within the Mongol empire and it has been suggested that the earliest underglaze blue decoration was carried out by Iranian potters who came to Jingdezhen along with imported cobalt. The best Persian cobalt probably came from the small village of Qamsar, thirty-five kilometres south west of Kashan in central Iran, and it constituted a valuable trade commodity to China. With the ending of Yuan dynasty trade routes to Iran, local Chinese deposits of cobalt were sourced in several provinces, thought the quality of the blue colour they produced could not match the imported Persian cobalt.
 

While the compositions of Chinese cobalts seem much the same from province to province, a variety of names are used for the ores in the traditional texts.  For example, the technical encyclopaedia called Tiangong kaiwu (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature), published in 1637, talks of an ore called wu ming yi :

“Wu ming yi was used as a blue pigment for painting porcelains. The mineral is found near the earth's surface not more than 3 feet down at the deepest and occurs in many provinces. It exists in top, medium or low-grade varieties. Before use it was roasted in a red-hot stove [i.e. calcined], whereupon the top grade material turned peacock blue, the medium light blue and the low grade a shade like brown earth. Each catty of untreated ore produced only seven ounces of top-grade wu ming yi, while the proportions of medium and low grade were correspondingly smaller. The top grade material was used for painting high-quality fine porcelains and dragon and phoenix designs on imperial wares.... the blue colouring material used at Raozhou used “Zhejiang material” from mountains in that province as its best grade.....After roasting the material was ground into a very fine powder with pestle and mortar and was then mixed with water for painting. It was black while being ground and suspended in water but after firing comes out blue.”

In the 16th century cobalts called sulaiman and sumali were referred to, while hui qing (Mohammedan blue) continued to be imported by land and by sea. Another material known as “foreign hui qing” from Yunnan province within China could have been a local ore, i.e. asbolite. From the end of the 16th century onwards, no more mention was made of imported cobalt until the 20th century. Among native cobalts, from the 17th century on hui qing from Yunnan became increasingly important, while cheaper varieties of cobalt from Jiangxi and Guangdong provinces could be admixed with better grades. It probably became the chief source after the late 18th century. The best blue, however, was said to be that from Shaoxing and Jinhua in Zhejiang province. Indigenous cobalt called “potang qing” was mined in Leping county near Jingdezhen. By the Jiajing reign period this ore was depleted, and another cobalt called shi qing (stone blue) was substituted. The latter was produced in Ruizhou prefecture, northwest of Boyang Lake in Jiangxi province.

The various merits of various cobalts and their retrieval is discussed in a book published in 1774 called Tao Shuo (Description of Ceramics):

“Both deep blue monochromes and blue-and-white use cobalt from Zhejiang that is found on hills in the two counties of Shaoxing and Jinhua. Collectors go out and gather it and wash away earth that sticks to it in stream water. It is dark yellow in colour, and large round pieces are best. Brought back to the kilns and stored under the floor of furnaces for three days, it is then taken out, carefully washed and sold. Cobalt from hills in Jiangxi and Guangdong is thin in colour and doesn't fire well, so it is only used for low quality popular wares.”

Cobalt was so precious that the artisans who painted pots also did different parts of designs, depending on skill. Simple rings were done by one group who also finished pots by polishing them on the wheel. Workers who did outlines were taught those skills only, as were those who filled in colours afterwards. To ensure uniformity of products that were turned out in hundreds and thousands, outline painters and colourists occupied the same workshops. Seals, marks and inscriptions were the job for skilled calligraphers. The most demanding task of all, painting the main field of design, was reserved for expert painters who had trained for many years. The price and scarcity of good-quality cobalt meant that from the beginning of the Qing period all-white wares were popular because they were the cheapest.

In spite of the sumptuous glories of blue and white, some authors have concluded that decorated wares were not to the taste of the educated Han elite in China itself, a view encapsulated by the ardent collector and scholar Cao Zhao, who published a connoisseurial manual called “Essential Criteria of Antiquities” at the beginning of the Ming dynasty in 1388. His remark that blue-and-white and coloured wares were “vulgar” has fostered the view that scholar-gentry preferred refined monochromes. Indeed, the Yongle emperor of the early Ming dynasty reacted in a similar vein to jade bowls brought in by foreign tribute in 1406, declaring:

“It is deeply satisfying to one's spirits that the court should utilise familiar, bright, clean and unadorned Chinese porcelain vessels.”

In spite of this desire for “unadorned vessels” it is clear, from pieces such as the Chang collection meiping, that high-quality blue and white was in general use at Yongle’s court.

In the Ming dynasty, official ceramics were ordered for both ritual and everyday use. From 1368 sumptuary restrictions were enacted to cover imperial wares. For example, commoners were forbidden to use vessels decorated with dragon and phoenix designs, or with gilding. In 1384 it was promulgated that all imperial ceramics must follow specific designs and that material and labour costs must be strictly controlled. The proscriptions were repeated in the 26th year with even greater severity, when it was stipulated that wooden utensils also were forbidden to bear red or gold decoration, or painted or carved dragons and phoenixes. It can be seen that specific decorations and forms denoted imperial status, and were reserved for palace use. Those designs gave added value to the porcelains, and frequent prohibitions suggest how often rules were transgressed. Private kilns were also forbidden to make wares with specified designs. The punishment for offence was death, confiscation of all possessions, and military conscription for all male members of the clan to the border regions.

The collapse of the Ming dynasty caused devastation at Jingdezhen, and for more than fifty years no imperial wares were manufactured. When the imperial kilns were revived in the early Kangxi reign, superb quality vessels started to appear once more. In 1680 the Emperor instigated an enquiry into the state of the pottery industry, and the rebuilding of the imperial factory, and this revival led to an unparalleled century of manufacture. During the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns (1723-95) a particular taste developed, for items decorated in Ming dynasty styles. For example, in 1724 imperial records mention orders for copies of past wares, including those following the fashion of Yongle, Xuande and Chenghua porcelains. The magnificent globular bottle with Yongzheng reign mark is clearly decorated in early 15th century style. It is painted in vivid shades of blue achieved in only the best imperial wares, with nine writhing three- and five-clawed dragons in pursuit of flaming pearls, interspersed with fire scrolls. Beneath them boils a choppy sea with waves, with a similar band repeated at the neck. Yongzheng dragons are strong, sinuous beasts whose representations during the era were skilfully delineated in great detail, their scales shaded in various tones of blue and their fierce heads painted to overawe and subdue. In Chinese dynastic history the number nine was associated with the emperor, and many artefacts associated with the imperial personage were decorated with nine dragons. Items ranged from clothing to eating utensils to furnishings such as this sumptuous bottle. Dragons themselves were sacred imperial symbols of power and dignity, while many ceremonies and procedures carried out by the emperor employed the number nine. These included the “nine presentations” given as reward to officials of outstanding ability and loyalty, and the harsh punishment of “nine familial exterminations” whereby nine members of a person’s close and extended family were executed to assuage a serious crime.

The simulation of early Ming blue and white is also apparent in the splendid Qianlong mark and period vase decorated with peaches, a fine product of the imperial kiln. On this vessel, the strong, clear blue is deliberately concentrated in dark, splotchy patches across the design, in order to emulate Ming “heaped and piled” effect, even though by the Qianlong reign decorators were able to fully control cobalt with no unnecessary overloading of the pigment on the surface. The effect was a conscious decision to mimic Ming style, as was the choice of design. Five bats flit around a peach tree growing from rockwork amidst breaking waves. The branches of the peach tree spread wide to support nine juicy peaches among leaves and blossom. A scroll band with flower heads encircles the base, with above a band of ruyi heads. Round the faceted neck are further floral sprays. The picture of peaches and bats is interesting, because together they form an auspicious birthday wish for happiness and long life. Five bats symbolise the number five, that is believed to be lucky and is associated with the Five Blessings. These are essential for a good life, as well as being the basic organizational principle of Chinese thought. The Five Blessings are old age, health, wealth, virtue and a peaceful death. Peaches have long been associated with longevity, and the presence of breaking waves and mountainous rocks make another rebus fu ru dong hai, “blessings as vast as the Eastern Sea”. The numbers of peaches and bats is also significant, because in a revered historical text the Jiu Tang shu (Old History of the Tang Dynasty) it is recorded that a minister told the Emperor Jing (reigned 809-827) that “Your majesty has obtained the position of ninety-five….”, a position synonymous with “becoming the emperor”. In view of the inner meanings of these decorations, it is highly likely that the vase was made to honour one of Emperor Qianlong’s birthdays.

From the evidence of these three fine pieces – the meiping, bottle and vase – it is clear that imperial ceramics decorated in underglaze cobalt blue reached a peak of technical and artistic achievement in the early Ming period. Control over the tricky pigment became good enough to paint detailed scenes, in the manner of scroll paintings. Nevertheless, consequences such as “heaping and piling” meant that control of colour was not perfect. Far from being viewed as a flaw, however, the effect was copied during the Qing dynasty reigns of Yongzheng and Qianlong as part of a conscious decision to emulate 15th century forms and decorations. This was but one of many examples that showed the importance of emulation of the past in Chinese history. Study and interpretation of the past are now recognized as persistent forces in the shaping of cultural identity in China from ancient times to the modern age.

Rose Kerr, Independent Scholar

Select Bibliography:
John Ayers (ed.) and Regina Krahl, Chinese ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, A Complete Catalogue, Vols. 1-3, (London, 1986)
曹昭 Cao Zhao,新增格古要論 (Newly Augmented) Essential Criteria of Antiquities, first published in 1388 with a preface by Zheng Pu 鄭樸
John Carswell, Blue & White, Chinese Porcelain Around the World (British Museum Press, London, 2000)
Geng Baochang, Ming Qing ciqi jianding 明清瓷器鉴定(Expert Evidence on Ming and Qing Ceramics) (Hong Kong, 1984)
Rose Kerr (ed.) and Nigel Wood, Ceramic Technology, Science and Civilisation in China, vol.5, part 12 (Cambridge University Press, 2004)
Margaret Medley, “Islam, Chinese Porcelain and Ardebil”, Iran, Volume 13 (London, 1975), pp.31-37
Palace Museum, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum,Blue and White Porcelain With Underglazed Red, volumes 34 and 35 (Beijing, 2001)
宋應星Song Yingxing, 天工開物 The Exploitation of the Works of Nature, published 1637
Tsai Mei-fen, Radiating Hues of Blue and White: Ming Dynasty Blue-and-White Porcelains in the National Palace Museum Collection (Taipei, 2016)
Shelagh Vainker, Chinese Pottery and Porcelain : From Prehistory to the Present (British Museum Press, London, 1991)
Wang Qingzheng, A Dictionary of Chinese Ceramics (Singapore, 2003)
Zhu Yan, 陶說 Description of Ceramics, published 1774

© Christie's Images Ltd 2025.

Lot 801. A fine and very rare blue and white ‘bamboo, rock and plantain’ vase, meiping, Yongle period (1403-1425); 35 cm high. Estimate HKD 50,000,000 – HKD 80,000,000 (US$6,500,000-10,000,000). Price realised HKD 78,125,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2025.

Provenance: Eskenazi Ltd., London
Chang Foundation, Taipei, prior to 1990

Literature: Chang Foundation, Chang Foundation Inaugural Catalogue, Taipei, 1990, p. 41
Chang Foundation, Selected Chinese Ceramics from Han to Qing Dynasties, Taipei, 1990, pp. 196-197, pl. 79
Chang Foundation, Treasures from the Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1996, p. 7, no. 7
Giuseppe Eskenazi n with Hajni Elias, A Dealer’s Hand: The Chinese Art World Through the Eyes of Giuseppe Eskenazi, London, 2012, p. 310, pl. 331

Exhibited: Beijing, National Museum of Chinese History, Treasures from the Chang Foundation, 5 May- 5 July 1996, cat. no. 7

Note: This extremely rare meiping, distinguished by its well-balanced, elegant form, refined composition, and intricate painting, stands as one of the finest examples of blue and white wares from the Yongle period. Its distinguished features not only reflect the artistic achievements of the period but also embody the cultural and philosophical ideals prevalent at the time.

There are only two known comparable examples with covers in museums, one is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Blue and White Porcelains with Underglaze Red (I), Hong Kong, 2000, p. 29, no. 27 (fig. 1); and the other is in the collection of the National Museum of China, illustrated in Studies on the Collection of the National Museum of China, Shanghai, 2007, p. 36, no. 11 (fig. 2). The current meiping appears to be the only one of this type in private hands and to be offered at auction.

fig. 1

fig. 2 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing

Collection of the National Museum of China

The motif of the plantain can be traced back to the Tang dynasty, where it was frequently depicted alongside rocks, symbolising the harmonious interplay between softness and hardness. This pairing, often integrated into garden settings, served to accompany scholarly figures and underscored the philosophical tenets of metaphysics. Over time, the plantain evolved from a secondary element into a primary subject, as evidenced in the work of Ke Jiusi (1290-1343) (fig. 3), in which the plantain and rock on this album leaf closely resembles to the ones on the present meiping.

fig. 3 Collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei

This shift is also evident in porcelain decoration, where the motif of bamboo, rock, and plantain gained prominence in the early 15th century. Their popularity stemmed from auspicious connotations associated with longevity, health, and peace, as well as their representations of loyalty and scholarly spirit. Such subject matter can be found on Yongle blue and white wares of various forms, including a blue and white yuhuchunping, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Blue and White Porcelains with Underglaze Red (I), Hong Kong, 2000, p. 35, no. 33 (fig. 4); and a bowl, ibid., p. 75, no. 72 (fig. 5).

fig. 4 Collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei

fig. 5 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing

Vessels adorned with motif of bamboo, rock, and plantain were commissioned by the imperial court throughout the Qing dynasty, with potters instructed to emulate designs from the Ming originals. Despite this continuity in aesthetic tradition, no examples of meiping featuring these specific motifs seemed to survive. For other Qing examples, see a Qianlong-marked yuhuchunping sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 22 April 2021, lot 3622.

Lot 802. A fine and extremely rare large blue and white ‘Nine Dragons’ vase, tianqiuping, Yongzheng six-character mark in underglaze blue in a line and of the period (1723-1735); 51.5 cm high. Estimate HKD 70,000,000 – HKD 90,000,000 (US$9,100,000-12,000,000). Price realised HKD 74,675,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2025.

Provenance: Herbert G. Squiers (1859-1911) collection
Sold at The American Art Association, New York, The Noteworthy Collection formed by the late Herbert G. Squiers, 9-12 April 1912, lot 526
John B. Trevor (1878-1956) collection
John B. Trevor Jr. (1909-2006) collection
The property of an American gentleman; sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 20 March 1990, lot 593

Literature: Christie’s, Christie’s 20 Years in Hong Kong: Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Highlights, Hong Kong, 2006, pp. 134- 135

Note: This exceptionally rare tianqiuping exemplifies the distinctive characteristics and essence of both Ming and Qing imperial porcelains at its finest, with its robustly potted body and vibrantly painted nine dragons, showcasing the refinement and creativity. Only one other similar tianqiuping is known, also decorated with nine dragons in a comparable style, arrangement and bears a six-character Yongzheng mark on the neck below the mouth rim, is in the collection of the Tianjing Museum, illustrated on its official website (fig. 1).

fig. 1

The present vase draws inspiration from Ming prototypes while integrating stylistic developments and aesthetics of the Qing imperial court, particularly evident in its form and dragon depictions. Unlike typical globular vases featuring a solitary dragon, this vase presents an extraordinary composition of four three-clawed dragons alongside five five-clawed dragons, each with distinct features and dynamic postures writhing amidst flames and crashing waves, emphasising movement and vitality.

The iconography of certain dragons can be traced to Ming precedents. The three-clawed dragon with an elephantine nose on the present vase bears resemblance to dragons from both Xuande and Chenghua periods; see the makara dragon on a Chenghua doucai jar, illustrated in Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Ch’eng Hua Porcelain Ware, 1465-1487, Taipei, 2003, p. 127, no. 113. (fig. 2). For the two winged dragons, comparison can be made to a Chenghua blue and white dish decorated with a similar dragon in the center as the main motif, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Blue and White Porcelains with Underglaze Red (II), Hong Kong, 2000, p. 12, no. 10 (fig. 3). Historical records from the Qing court's tribute list indicate that on the 5th day of the 8th month in the 45th year of the Qianlong reign, and again on the 28th day of the 12th month in the 4th year of the Jiaqing reign, a pair of blue and white 'nine-dragon' tianqiuping was sent to the court, described as emulating the Chenghua style of the Ming dynasty. It is highly plausible that the present vase, in conjunction with the Tianjing Museum vase, constitutes this referenced pair.

fig. 2 Collection of the Tianjin Museum

fig. 3 Collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei

In addition to its emulation of Ming dragon motifs, the present vase also embodies the strength and power of early Qing dragons. The uprising dragon bears a striking similitudes to one on a Kangxi-marked blue and white dish in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, collection number: zhongci002947N (fig. 4). The expression of all dragons are imbued with a remarkable dynamism, an emblem of the Yongzheng period. This can be further compared to a Yongzheng-marked tianqiuping decorated in both underglaze blue and iron-red with a single sinuous three-clawed dragons, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 November 2023, lot 2840 (fig. 5).

fig. 4 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing

fig. 5 Collection of the National Palace Museum, Ta

Furthermore, the stylistic lineage of the present vase underscores the vase’s importance and served as a canonical model for later emulation. According to Qing Dang (Qing Archives), in the third year of the Qianlong reign (1738), exemplary porcelains of Kangxi and Yongzheng periods were presented to the court- among them, “a single Xuande-style blue and white tianqiuping painted with enlarged dragon motifs” was submitted for the explicit purpose of commissioning similar works. This archival record finds direct corroboration in a closely comparable Qianlong blue and white tianqiuping painted with nine dragons, illustrated by Yeo and Martin, Chinese Blue and White Ceramics, Singapore, 1978, pp. 34-35, fig. 19 (fig. 6).

fig. 6 Sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 November 2023, lot 284

fig. 7 Yeo and Martin, Chinese Blue and White Ceramics, Singapore, 1978, pp.34-35, fig. 19

Lot 803. A fine and very rare blue and white ‘bat and peach’ vase,Qianlong six-character seal mark in underglaze blue and of the period (1736-1795); 25.3 cm high. Estimate HKD 3,000,000 – HKD 5,000,000. Price realised HKD 9,813,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2025.

Provenance: Sold at Christie’s London, 12 July 2005, lot 168.

Note: The present vase is exceedingly rare, distinguished by its unique and unusual shape. Only one comparable example appears to be known with nearly identical shape, size, and decoration, and is in the collection of Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Blue and White Porcelains with Underglaze Red (III), Hong Kong, 2010, p. 134, no. 120 (fig. 1). The present vase differs from the Palace Museum example in a few aspects: the lobing on the neck is less prominent; the decoration on the present vase is in mirror image to that of the Palace Museum example; and the execution of the painting on the two vases is slightly different. Despite these differences, the fine potting, lustrous glaze and the very typical brilliant blue used in the Ming style ‘heaped and piled’ on the present vase all indicate that it is undoubtedly the work from the imperial kiln of Qianlong period. According to Qing Dang (Qing Archives), on the 7th day of the 8th month in the 38th year of the Qianlong reign (1773), “a pair of Xuande-style blue and white ‘eternal blessings and longevity’ vases was submitted”. This entry may refer to the present vase and the vase in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, suggesting that they were a pair and was specially commissioned to celebrate the emperor’s birthday.

fig. 1 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing

Peaches have long been associated with auspicious symbolism and are often used as the main motif on imperial porcelain. Compare to a Yongzheng-marked blue and white olive-shaped ‘peach’ vase, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Blue and White Porcelains with Underglaze Red (III), Hong Kong, 2010, p. 93, no. 79 (fig. 2), the peaches are executed in a similar style, further substantiating that the present vase was likely made during the early Qianlong period. The combination of peaches and bats forms the wishes for longevity and happiness. The motifs of the five bats symbolise the 'Five Blessings': longevity, wealth, health, virtue and a fulfilled lifespan. Peaches have long been associated with longevity, reinforcing this theme. Furthermore the depiction of breaking waves and rocks (mountain) serve as a rebus for shou shan fu hai, 'Longevity as lasting as the mountain and blessings as vast as the Sea'. Moreover, the combination of the number nine and five is a sacred number solely reserved for the use of the emperor.

fig. 2 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing

Other Qianlong-marked vessels decorated with the same subject matter and executed in similar Ming-style can be found in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, see a blue and white vase with ruyi-handles, collection number: zhongci003769N (fig. 3); and a blue and white moonflask, collection number: zhongci003558N (fig. 4).

fig. 3 Collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei

fig. 4 Collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei

Christie's. Ravishing Blue : Imperial Porcelains From An Important Private Collection, Hong Kong; 2 May 2025