Page 6 - Nov. 27, 2019 Christie's Important Works of Art HK
P. 6

AN EXCEPTIONAL AND MASSIVE

         LONGQUAN CELADON DISH


         Rosemary Scott
         Senior International Academic Consultant Asian Art










         The provenance of this extremely large and exceedingly impressive   ᒝᨍ᢮
         early Ming Longquan celadon dish or charger emphasises the
                                                                   㹩ᦾ㤍㕲חⰈ♃⬻⩇བྷ૯↱
         admiration for these remarkable celadon wares amongst Asian
                         th
         collectors.  In the 20  century this vessel has been in some of the most   ⳹ἯῚ
         prestigious Chinese collections – the E.T. Chow collection, the T.Y   ̯ᨕⳔ⻒㒴㇔᪨४㢄ೀ⻒㧣ࠑ
         Chao collection, and the T.T. Tsui collection.  This large dish dates to
                             th
         the second half of the 14  century, during the reign of the Hongwu
         emperor (1368-98), when this bracket lobed form was at its height of   ᫉׾ᚺߝ䂆ᯛ㬪㞏ഌ⏎㙁௛ᘹ┣卿৅⏟Ӭ
         popularity, and it is possible, even probable, that the dish was made for   ᱁卿੷ᇖ᫓ჺ׹ݯ⣌Ꮫ⻦།Ԡ㩵༏卿؝जࣇ
         the court.
                                                                   ㌴Ռᰲᘘ⻦⊤ཌ㘺ᏼצ൘㬪≢⎏ዴጝԠካǯ
                                                                   ⥍㈊Հࢦӽ⡕卿᫉⏎ᝪ⡢ݣ㑤ᇖルǮըὙԠ
         Longquan celadons have long been admired for the beauty of their
         glazes, which combine a range of subtle green colours with delicate   কᇍཿల✙ᘘ⻦ഌ།लӴǯ໦῟㙁ᙻࢦ୨ӽ
         translucency and unctuous texture, as on the current dish.   The name   ⡕Ӵࢮ⶟ᰪ᫋ჺ㧿卻ݩ݉      ⯍      ჺ卼卿
         Longquan does not come from a specific kiln site, but from the name   ⋁ᛞ᫈ٿⵘᅴ଍௛⎏ݥ⏇ᛞឆ卿ទᐽ৅ज⬒
         of the market town of Longquan in southern Zhejiang province, to   卻≾⯍ᇈज⬒卼ྏᙻ༈ᅡᇙ≢ǯ
         which the ceramics were brought for sale and distribution.  The kilns
         on this region inherited the legacy of the stonewares produced at the   ⯇ऒս׹卿䂆ᯛ㬪≢ս㞏ᙠԠ⧻㍞ᶕ഍Ӵ卿
         Yue kilns in the same province, and indeed in the Northern Song
                                                                   ໦्ٛ⸆⼘⻢⎏㬪㞏᳅᳍ᝳ⯎卿㐏ዷᵐᷪഔ
         period the Longquan kilns produced wares very similar to Yue wares.
                                                                   㘲卿ទᐽ৅౑जἃ᫉→㕇㊯ᯧǯݯ༰卿䂆
         However, in the Southern Song period, no doubt influenced by the
                                                                   ᯛ≢Ԇ㬳ᇑलᙻ᠋ٖ⁞໸⎏⚨ऑ卿䂆ᯛगᛓ
         refined tastes of members of the elite, who accompanied the new
                                                                   ᑨ᱆ᮅࢶ㛑Ӭٖ㪃≢㫀ᘶ஠ǯ⋁஠≢⚨ᐂ㇑
         Southern Song court when it settled at Hangzhou, the Longquan kilns
         began to develop a refined, high-quality, soft green celadon glaze, that   Ի⏥ݤ㑘⚩Ԡ㚃㰍卿୬᫉࢈໬䂆ᯛ଍⯝㑘⚨
         was to prove hugely popular both in China and overseas.    ㅳ৅ࢦߎᓞ㘆ǯֿᛞ⯍ࢶ໬卿⎑ㇼ㏟ݽࢶӴ
                                                                   ڍ໫ឿ႔卿䂆ᯛ⚨㰆὞ईߪݯ㙐⯞㪿㑪Ԡᆴ
         While the Longquan glaze was perfected during the Southern Song
                                                                   㮮卿ࠛ῟ԻӬ♎᳖᳍᠏ক⎏⠢ㅳ㬪㞏卿ஙᱡ
         period, production expanded considerably in the succeeding Yuan
                                                                   ݤംഌἃ㰍リǯ
         dynasty, rising over time to such an extent that some 300 kilns were
         active in the Longquan region.  New shapes and styles of decoration
                                                                   䂆ᯛ㞏ஙࢶ໬Ⴁ⯔ᙻ໭⧻卿ֿݯ⊄㞔ங݉ջ
         were introduced, and pieces of impressive size began to be made at
                                                                   խᑥ⦛ᗫࢫ卿Ԝ⩧ԜԠ卿᰻㔮ᙻ䂆ᯛ஠ࢥ⎏
         the Longquan kilns.  While some of the larger pieces, such as the large
                                                                   ݉ջ⚨ऑ⛋അ㙤⡙Ӳ⎋ٖǯ㩶Իᅸݣᙲ⎏
         dishes, were probably initially inspired by the requirements of patrons
         from Western Asia, these and other large forms came to be appreciated   ଍௛কㅛ㱈㰍ᡟ卿䂆ᯛ⚨ᝤ㧷ං῟㙁଍௛ᘹ
         by patrons in both Western and East Asia.  Fine Longquan celadons   ┣⎏ה৅ǯ㫍὞ഌ։଍⁒卻ൈഌ⏎卼ᝬ᚝⎏


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