Lot 1036. An extremely rare and fine moulded celadon-glazed floral-form dish, Xuande six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1426-1435); 18.2 cm diam., box. Price realised HKD 12,700,000 (Estimate HKD 10,000,000 – HKD 15,000,000). © Christie's Images Ltd 2025
 

Provenance: A private collection, purchased in Hong Kong in the late 1990s
Acquired from the above by the present owner, circa 2004

Note: The dish is with rounded sides that flare at the mouth, moulded on both interior and exterior to simulate flower petals, all raised on a short ring foot and covered overall in a luscious, even-textured pale celadon glaze. The base is inscribed with a six-character Xuande mark in underglaze blue within a double circle.

During the early Ming dynasty, Jingdezhen began producing celadon wares in emulation of Longquan celadon. The glaze tones vary, and the most prized and sought after type is a pale, translucent glaze resembling bamboo, developed during the Yongle period. The present lot belongs to this latter group.

Extant Ming dynasty celadon wares are exceptionally rare, and those bearing a Xuande mark are even more so. The present lot is likely to be unique within the recent market for its type, with other comparable examples residing in the collections of the Palace Museums in Beijing and Taipei. Compare two Xuande-marked celadon foliate dishes in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, collection no. guci003420N (fig. 1) that is covered with a deeper green glaze reminiscent of Longquan ware, and another, collection no. guci002736N (fig. 2) covered with a glaze tone closer to that of the present lot. Another related dish with a deeper glaze is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, collection no. xin00155427. Compare further to a Xuande-marked carved celadon bulb bowl, previously in the T. Y. Chao Collection, sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 29 November 2019, lot 310.

fig. 1 A celadon-glazed foliate dish, Xuande mark and period (1426-1435), Collection of the National Palace Museum (Inv. no. guci003420N)

fig. 2 A celadon-glazed foliate dish, Xuande mark and period (1426-1435), Collection of the National Palace Museum (Inv. no. guci002736N)

Christie's. Important Chinese and Asian Works of Art, Hong Kong, 30 October 2025