Page 42 - Sotheby's Fine Chinese Art NYC September 2023

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A GROUP OF CORAL-RED-GROUND FAMILLE- Forbidden City. As Ying-Chen Peng argues in this catalogue
ROSE ‘IMPERIAL WEDDING’ WARES (p. 68), the presence of ‘Changchun tongqing’ (jointly
QING DYNASTY, TONGZHI PERIOD celebrating eternal spring) inscriptions may also suggest
they were commissioned for a wedding banquet to be held in
comprising two large bowls, two zhadou, a pair of cups Changchungong, within the Forbidden City. A bowl from this
and stands, four dishes of varying sizes, fourteen bowls of service in the Palace Museum, Beijing is illustrated Zhang
varying shapes and sizes, two bowl covers, and two spoons, Han, ‘Xiqing jixiang: Wanqing Tongzhi dahun ciqi pashu
most with dragon and phoenix roundels and a four-character [Auspicious: Late Qing Dynasty Tongzhi wedding porcelain]’,
Changchun tongqing mark or a Yanxi tonghe mark in iron red, Forbidden City, vol. 12, 2020, p. 104. Compare also a large
together with a large bowl of similar pattern with a Guangxu circular box and cover in the Qing Court Collection, likely
four-character mark in iron red and a ‘xi’ saucer with a belonging to the same commission, illustrated in The
Tongzhi four-character mark in iron red (32) Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum.
Diameter of largest 8¼ in., 21.2 cm
Porcelains with Cloisonné Enamel Decoration and Famille
Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 231.
PROVENANCE
the pair of zhadou: Solveig and Anita Gray, London, $ 40,000-60,000
18th October 1993.
a bowl, cover, and saucer: Solveig and Anita Gray, London,
5th November 1993. 清同治 珊瑚紅地粉彩開光龍鳳呈祥紋
the pair of large bowls and a pair of small bowls: Luen Chai 瓷一組
Curios Store, Hong Kong, 31st December 1993.
one bowl: Ronald W. Longsdorf, 24th January 1994. 《長春同慶》《燕喜同和》《光緒年
the Tongzhi mark and period saucer: Jonathan Robinson 製》《同治年製》款
Oriental Ceramics & Works of Art, London, 17th March 1994.
two bowls and the pair of spoons: Eileen Kershaw, Hong 及 珊瑚紅地粉彩開光龍鳳呈祥紋盌《光緒年製》
Kong, 1st January 1995. 款、珊瑚紅地粉彩折枝花卉紋小盤《同治年製》款
one saucer: P.C. Lu Works of Art Limited, Hong Kong,
6th January 1995. 來源
three bowls: Solveig and Anita Gray, London, 渣斗一對: Solveig and Anita Gray，倫敦，1993年10月
15th November 1995. 18日
one bowl: Chinese Arts & Crafts (H.K.) Ltd., Hong Kong, 蓋、盌、小盤: Solveig and Anita Gray，倫敦，1993年
25th December 1995. 11月5日
one dish: Orientique, Hong Kong, 5th January 2005. 大盌一對、小盌一對: 聯齊古玩號，香港，1993年12
月31日
LITERATURE
盌之一: Ronald W. Longsdorf, 1994年1月24日
Ronald W. Longsdorf, ‘The Tongzhi Imperial Wedding
Porcelain’, Orientations, October 1996, figs 24, 29-31. 《同治年製》款小盤: Jonathan Robinson Oriental
Ceramics & Works of Art, 倫敦，1994年3月17日
This extraordinary assemblage adorned with dragons and 盌兩件、勺一對: Eileen Kershaw，香港，1995年1月
phoenixes is believed to have been produced as part of the 1日
famous ‘Wedding Set’ of porcelains commissioned for the
marriage of the Tongzhi Emperor in 1872. The preparation 小盤之一: P.C. Lu Works of Art Limited，香港，1995
for the wedding, including commissions for the porcelain, 年1月6日
began in 1867, but the quality of the first shipment was 盌三件: Solveig and Anita Gray，倫敦，1995年11月15
well below Cixi’s standard. It was not until the year of the 日
wedding that the imperial kiln submitted works that were 盌之一: 中藝（香港）有限公司，香港，1995年12月
deemed satisfactory. 25日
The works in the present service are replete with auspicious 盤之一: 古慶堂，香港，2005年1月5日
designs of marital harmony. The dragon and phoenix, 出版
representative of the emperor and empress, are separated Ronald W. Longsdorf，〈The Tongzhi Imperial Wedding
by double xi (happiness) characters, repeated to the Porcelain〉，《Orientations》，1996年10月, 圖24及29
interiors. Some of the pieces in the service are inscribed
‘Yanxi tonghe’, a phrase that combines the palaces names 至31
for the Tongzhi Emeror’s empress and consort in the

80 SOTHEBY’S COMPLETE CATALOGUING AVAILABLE AT SOTHEBYS.COM/N11275 THE LEGACY OF CIXI. LATE QING PORCELAIN FROM THE BARBARA JEAN LEVY COLLECTION 81