Lot 3204. A finely painted and rare blue and white 'Dragon' moonflask, seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795); 30.2 cm, 11 7/8 in. Estimate: HK$15,000,000 - 20,000,000 / US$1,920,000 - 2,560,000. Lot Sold 22,320,000 HKD (2,309,547 EUR).  © Sotheby's 2018.

skilfully potted with a broad body rising from a short splayed foot to a waisted neck and flared rim, the neck flanked by a pair of archaistic scroll handles, each side of the body exquisitely and richly painted in shaded tones of cobalt blue with a five-clawed dragon soaring sinuously around a 'flaming pearl' below a bat at the neck, all amidst flaming wisps and ruyi cloud swirls above a frieze of crashing waves and rockwork, the foot skirted with a border of cloud scrolls and four bats, the base inscribed with a six-character seal mark.

Provenance: Christie's Hong Kong, 13th January 1987, lot 529.

Note: Outstanding for its bold and dynamic dragon motif, this moonflask is a grand statement of the Qianlong Emperor's imperial splendour. In the quest to justify their right to the throne of China as a foreign ruler, the Manchu emperors of the Qing dynasty diligently studied the fabric of Chinese society and utilised every type of art to assert their position. Accordingly, craftsmen working at the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen were commissioned to refer to great works of China's past while simultaneously creating innovative and contemporary pieces that boasted the excellent workmanship of the era.

Immediately striking in its design, the dragons on this moonflask are inspired by early-Ming prototypes yet mark a departure from their predecessors. Dragons had rarely appeared on moonflasks before the Qianlong period, although a few examples from the early 15th century exist, such as a Xuande flask painted with a three-clawed dragon, illustrated in Gugong Bowuyuan cang Ming chu qinghua ci [Early Ming blue-and-white porcelain in the Palace Museum], vol. 1, Beijing, 2002, pl. 89. The motif of a front-facing dragon first emerged in the mid-16th century after which it became its most commonly depicted form in the decorative arts of the late Ming period, appearing on ceremonial robes, porcelain and carved objects. However, the Qing rendering of the front-facing dragon is markedly different from its predecessors. Following in the highly-detailed and vigorous style pioneered by Liu Yuan (c.1638-c.1685), an accomplished painted, calligrapher and carver who was employed by the court for a brief period to design porcelains for the imperial factory in Jingdezhen during the Kangxi reign, this dragon captures the innate strength and majesty of the mythical creature. The ferocity of the creature is highlighted in the eyes that are both fixed on the flaming pearl and engaged with the viewer to convey the power and beneficence it symbolises. The painter’s expertise with cobalt is evident in the fine details of the face, which has been rendered in a combination of painting techniques including washes, delicate outlines and pointillism. 

In its form, this moonflask makes further reference to its Ming predecessors. Early 15th century moonflasks, with double handles and of oval section, probably derived from pottery pilgrim flasks brought into China by Sogdian merchants which were then reproduced in lead-glazed earthenware. By the time the Ming imperial potters at Jingdezhen became interested in this shape, it retained only a basic relationship to the original form. They rejuvenated the vessel, creating a sophisticated, faintly elliptical, circular outline with swelling sides, all counterbalanced by a slender cylindrical neck and fanciful curled handles. Following a lull in production after the 15th century, Qing potters again revived the form, perhaps also due to its resemblance to the archaic bronze bianhu, which would have appealed to the emperors’ passion for archaism. 

Closely related blue and white moonflasks rendered with a front-facing dragon are rare; the companion to the present piece, in the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, is illustrated in Qingdai ciqi jianding [Appraisal of Qing porcelain], Shanghai, 1994, pl. 159; and another, but depicted with the dragon clutching the pearl, from the Wang Xing Lou collection, is published in Imperial Perfection. The Palace Porcelain of Three Chinese Emperors, Hong Kong, 2004, pl. 20. Compare also a larger version (50 cm), but flanked with chilong handles, sold in our London rooms, 7th November 2007, lot 407.

A fine and rare blue and white 'Dragon' moonflask, seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795); 50cm., 19 3/4 in. Sold for 2,820,500 GBP at Sotheby's London, 7th November 2007, lot 407.  © Sotheby's 2007.

The broad voluptious body set on a short splayed oval foot, the trumpet shaped neck set with a pair of pierced stylised archaic qilong handles, crisply carved with c-scroll motifs, richly painted in deep tones of cobalt blue with a scaly sinuous five-clawed dragon to either side, contesting a centralised flaming pearl, amongst cloud scrolls above a crashing wave border, the neck, foot and sides painted with ten stylised bats. Estimate 800,000 — 1,200,000 GBP.

Dragon moonflasks of this type and ornately-modelled handles were produced in a variety of palettes, attesting to its popularity with the Qianlong Emperor; a larger doucai version was sold in our New York rooms, 8th November 1980, lot 218, and twice at Christie’s New York, 22nd March 1999, lot 317, and 21st September 2004, lot 331; and another, but with an additional small dragon emerging from the sea, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, was included in the exhibition China. The Three Emperors 1662-1795, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2006, cat. no. 217. Three varieties of dragon moonflasks, also from the Qing Court collection, are published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (III), Hong Kong, 2000, pl. 132, a blue and white version with a large dragon medallion surrounded by foliate scrolls, pl. 232, depicting a puce-enamelled dragon amongst underglaze-blue swirling clouds, and pl. 235, a yellow-ground with underglaze blue version.

Compare also a blue and white moonflask rendered with a side-facing dragon and smaller dragon emerging from the water among scrolling clouds, sold in our London rooms, 6th November 2013, lot 16; and another sold in our Paris rooms, 18th December 2008, lot 68.

A rare blue and white ‘dragon’ moonflask, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period; 29.5cm., 11 5/8 in. Sold for 770,500 GBP at Sotheby's London, 6th November 2013, lot 16. © Sotheby's 2013

Cf. my post: A rare blue and white ‘dragon’ moonflask, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period

Sotheby's. Imperial Porcelain from a Distinguished Private Collection, Hong Kong, 03 Apr 2018, 10:15 AM