Page 229 - Sotheby's Important Chinese Art, Sept. 21-22, 2-21, NYC

Fig. 1 A fine blue and white ‘lotus’ vase, Mark and period of Xuande Fig. 2 A rare and finely painted early Ming blue and white ovoid vase, Mark
© The collection of National Palace Museum, Taipei and period of Xuande, Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 27th April 1993, lot 37
圖一 明宣德 青花轉枝番蓮紋瓶 © 國立故宮博物院藏品，台北 圖二 明宣德 纏枝蓮紋瓶 《大明宣德年製》款 香港蘇富比1993年4月27
日，編號37

This vase is extremely rare both in form and design. Only on 27th May 2009, lot 1802; the other vase sold at Christie’s
two other examples appear to be recorded, both inscribed Hong Kong, 17th January 1989, lot 572, and later in our
with a Xuande (r. 1426-35) reign mark. One is preserved London rooms, 18th November 1998, lot 865.
in the National Palace Museum, Taipei (acc. no. 故- John D. “Jay” Rockefeller IV (b. 1937) is the great-
瓷-012450-N000000000), illustrated in Porcelain of the grandson of Standard Oil billionaire, John D. Rockefeller,
National Palace Museum: Blue-and-white Ware of the Ming Sr. (1839-1937), and is the fourth generation in his family
Dynasty, Book II, Part 1, Hong Kong, 1963, pls 2 and 2a, to maintain an interest in Asia and a collection of Chinese
included in the Museum’s Special Exhibition of Selected art. Rockefeller, Sr. sold kerosene to China and supported
Hsüan-te Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, Taipei, medical missions in the country, including the establishment
1998, cat. no. 16 (fig. 1). The other was sold in our Hong of a new medical school. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. (1874-
Kong rooms, 27th April 1993, lot 37 (fig. 2), later entering 1960) was the first in the family to form a serious collection
into the collection of the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe of Chinese works of art, which was principally focused on
Hamburg, Hamburg, illustrated in Nora von Achenbach, Qing dynasty porcelains, and eventually donated to the
Chinesische Kunst im Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Jay’s father, John
Hamburg / Chinese art in the Museum für Kunst und D. Rockefeller 3rd, continued the family legacy by amassing
Gewerbe Hamburg, Hamburg, 2012, no. 45. an important collection of imperial Song, Yuan, and Ming
The unusual shape of these vases is illustrated in Geng dynasty works of art and gave the collection to the Asia
Baochang, Ming Qing ciqi jianding / Appraisal of Ming and Society, of which he was a founding member.
Qing Porcelains, Hong Kong, 1993, p. 47, fig. 82, no. 15, Jay Rockefeller graduated from Harvard University in
where it is described as meiping shi guan (‘meiping-style 1961 with a Bachelor of Arts in Far Eastern Languages and
jar’). Representing a variation on the classic meiping shape, History. In 1964, he moved to West Virginia as a VISTA
vessels of this form have a wide neck but no mouth rim and volunteer, where he worked with the impoverished small
are extremely rare among Xuande wares. mining community of Emmons. His abiding interest in
The scroll of stylized lotus, with pomegranate centers and improving the welfare of others led him to a career as a
long stems issuing from the flowers, appears to be specific Democrat politician. Among his distinguished roles, he
to the Xuande period and is illustrated in a line drawing served as the West Virginia Secretary of State (1968-1973),
ibid., p. 60, fig. 107, no. 5. The design of pendent leaves at President of West Virginia Wesleyan College (1973–1975),
the shoulder and upright ones encircling the foot is also Governor of West Virginia (1977-1985), and then as a
uncommon during this period, as this type of border is more United States Senator of West Virginia (1985-2015). His
often seen on Chenghua (r. 1465-87) porcelains. Compare achievements include the landmark Children’s Health
two Xuande mark and period vases with a similar design: Insurance Program (CHIP), which he co-authored and which
one of meiping form that was included in the exhibition The provides approximately 6 million low-income children with
Exquisite Chinese Artifacts: Collection of Ching Wan Society, health insurance annually; the Cybersecurity Act of 2009;
National Museum of History, Taipei, 1995, cat. no. 95, sold at and programs that promote STEM education, and help all
Christie’s Hong Kong, 20th March 1990, lot 522, and again schools and libraries to connect to the Internet.

226 SOTHEBY’S COMPLETE CATALOGUING AVAILABLE AT SOTHEBYS.COM/N10748