Page 52 - Christie's IMPORTANT CHINESE Ceramics and Works of Art may 28 2021 hk

DRAGONS FROM THE

EMPIRE - IMPERIAL

CERAMICS FROM THE

YIDETANG COLLECTION

The Yidetang Collection was assembled by a remarkable man,
distinguished both in his professional life and in his passion
for treasuring fine Chinese ceramics and works of art. While
the selection in this sale, “Dragons from the Empire – Imperial
Ceramics from the Yidetang Collection”, is only a small part of
this exceptional collection, we hope that it provides a glimpse
through a window, through the eye of the dragon, into the
essence of the collector.

Each of these ceramics share robust provenance, acquired
at international auctions or from well-known dealers. Many
were in highly distinguished private collections before
coming onto the market. The range of acquisition reflects the
collector’s delight in travelling to the sale rooms and galleries
in London, and elsewhere, where he also delighted in visiting
and studying in institutional collections, such as the Percival
David Foundation.

These journeys were indicative of the collector’s insatiable
appetite to search out the fine and the beautiful. And here we
have presented another journey, that of the dragon depicted
on imperial porcelains through almost half a millennium of
extraordinary technical accomplishment. From the Yuan
dynasty blue and white dragon ewer (lot 2928), which is
the earliest dragon form in this group, retaining the sinuous
characteristics of Song forms, through the early Ming dragon
of the Xuande lobed bowl, the only such one in private
hands, (lot 2927) and the mid Ming, to the glories of the Qing
examples, each piece is a testament to the collector’s search
for an ideal. In any form, whether it is the clarity of glaze in
the Jiaqing gilt-decorated celadon-ground jar and cover
(lot 2938) or the exquisite enamelling of the Qianlong pink-
ground small bowl and cover (exceptionally also depicting the
phoenix) (lot 2955) each rendition reveals the collector’s love
for vivacious, powerful and characterful dragons. He liked
gravitas tempered by beauty and loveliness tempered by
strength. In offering this flight of imperial dragons, we seek
and are honoured to portray part of the personal world of the
Yidetang collector.

JONATHAN STONE
Asian Art Co-Chairman
Deputy Chairman
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