Page 17 - Ming Porcelain Sothebys march 2018

ighly impressive in its size, yet exquisite in its very rare decoration, this
͉ۜᎲݰɽᆵdˉʂ၂್d७ᅵतࣿdၚᇘശ dish is a true masterpiece. With its superior craftsmanship it stands
Ⱇdᗭ੻ɓԈd༐މΝᗳۜʕ௟ॴʘЪf͉ۜʈ H out among other Longquan dishes known from the early Ming dynasty
ᖵ೮ࢤிᧅd׼ڋᎲݰᆵʕᒻϞ̈Չ̛٫d݂ (1368-1644) and may have been specially commissioned by the court as an
ϤᆵאމࢗҒਖ਼ژደႡdЪމሧ⩚ࠠࠅ̮Ԟё imperial gift to an important foreign potentate. No other large dish with this
˴ʘ਷ᓿfΝᅵ७ུʘɽᆵdͦۃ֠͊Ԉ˼Էf
design appears to be recorded.
͉ᆵཊሯᆦᆗɪ࠱dՍڀଉರഒߕdᅼႡ஝዆
The ! ne quality of the glaze and carving, and the crisp molding are
лໝdՈՊۨ׼ڋ௟ॴᎲݰኜʘतᓃf޴ᗳନ
characteristic traits of Longquan’s best early Ming productions. Shards of
ᆵಞ˪׵एϪᎲݰ㜺㜺ѧಀϞ̈ɺfϤᗳ㜺ѧ
຾Ⴉ֛Ꮠމ׼˾֜㜺፲ѧdˈԈᎲݰጤɽ㜺 similar dishes have been found at Longquan excavation sites in Zhejiang
ไݸ֧㜺ѧ̈ɺመεຟᆵಞ˪dޫߣኣێྼඪ province, which have been identi! ed as imperial Ming dynasty kilns.
ಾdନሯᇘ੗ᎴԄdՉɪྌՍ७ུᐿልబᘆdၾ Particularly the Fengdongyan kiln site at Dayao in Longquan has yielded many
౻ᅃᕄ׼ڋڡڀʿཊ㛪ߎኜϞମϜΝʈʘஈf dish fragments revealing similar strong bodies of ! ne quality, usually carved
Ϥᗳंැᆼ䋳˲ۜሯՙ൳ʘᎲݰɽᆵdΝᎲݰ with intricate decorations very similar to those found on blue-and-white and
㜺הደɭ౷˚͜ʘۜ฿ʔ̙ΝɓϾሞf
underglaze-red wares of Jingdezhen. Of such large size, ! ne quality and
ኽ׼̦༱dݳ؛ɚɤʬϋdڋ׵Ꮂݰໄ֜㜺dਖ਼ sophisticated pattern, these fragmented pieces were clearly unlike the regular
ደ্ନdٜЇϓʷʩϋ˟f֜㜺͟ਖ਼ࡰᘌ္ࣸ Longquan ware meant for daily use.
Ⴁdઓɪ࠱ၚۜ˙̙ආ্ࢗҒdቱɨ೹Ϟ๽ଲ
٫d฿์૝ʘf־ࣛᎲݰ্ۜ΋༶ЇϪᘽଊτd O" cially, Longquan began its manufacture of imperial ware in the 26th year
͟ဗ༶֜ࡰЪ௰ܝေйdઓ௰Գʘኜ˙̙ɝ of Hongwu (1394, r. 1368-1398) and continued until the 1st year of Chenghua
፯d຾͟ɽ༶ئ༶ֻԯࢪf (1465). During this period, Longquan production was under close court
supervision. Only the best pieces survived, while the rest was smashed to
ν͉ۜᗳࢗ͟ҒࠈደʘɽۨኜdεމڎΥ̮Ԟ
pieces. The prefectural city of Huai’an in Jiangsu province appears to have
ᄲߕϾႡdאቖਯ˼਷dאЪΫሮ্يdՉί
been a center where the ultimate selection of court-commissioned Longquan
̮ቖ൱׸ʿಃ্ՓܓʕהৎЪ͜ޟɽfІ׼ಃ
ʘڋd˄ख़ک൝˿܁Փಃ্Փܓjઓ֜˙̙ၾ ware took place. It was the seat of the Director-General of Water Transport at
̮ԞֻԸʿஷਠf׼ڋಃ্൱׸ၾ͏ගԐӷԨ the time and the location from where the successfully completed pieces were
ସdɽඎᎲݰ፲ޜʱ౳Їऎ̮መ਷fᎲݰڡନ transported via the Grand Canal up to the capital.
ᑊΤჃ̮dएϪεή㜺ఙ؍ͭd๧˦޴ૐdޟЇ
ᅂᚤЇቌ޲၅ܔɓ੭iᎲݰ㜺ఙᑗڐ๝ψeݰ Large-sized vessels, such as the present dish, commissioned by the court,
ψՇஈஷਠಥɹdऎ༶کлdପ̙ۜ͟஬୵ቖ were predominantly made to meet foreign taste. They played an important
ֻჃ؇e؇یԭʿʕ؇̹ఙdЇჃ̙༺ڢݲf role in the emperor’s control of foreign trade and tributary relations. Upon
his ascension to the throne in 1368, the Hongwu Emperor ordered that
foreign diplomatic and trade contacts should be conducted through o" cial
government channels only, in the form of a tributary system. Further into his
reign, these initial regulations became considerably less strict, as evidenced
by the many Longquan pieces found outside China. The Longquan kilns,
spreading over a large part of Zhejiang province and even further into the
neighboring province of Fujian, were indeed conveniently located to reach the
trade ports of Wenzhou and Quanzhou from where the merchandise could
be shipped to foreign markets in the Far East, Southeast Asia and India, the
Middle East and even as far as Africa.