Page 77 - Ming Porcelain Sothebys march 2018

A UNIQUE EWER FROM
THE XUANDE IMPERIAL KILNS

ɓ΁܁ᅃ੿㜺ੂడ֘ኜ

his ewer of Xuande mark and period (1426-1435) appears to be unique,
͉܁ᅃ੭ಛੂడd฽މޜӼdᏐ᙮֘ۜdኜ although its form and design are familiar from examples of the Yongle
Җʿ७ུ޴ᗳ٫d̙Ԉ׵͑ᆀЪԷf׼͑܁ T reign (1403-1424). The reigns of Yongle and Xuande in the early Ming
Շಃd੿ନʘᛁࢤd౻ᅃᕄ੿ኜᅀաಃҒᘌ period (1368-1644) marked the first great era of China’s imperial porcelain
ࣸ၍છdසו֜Զf܁ନᛕ͑Փd٢Չၚ production, when the Jingdezhen kilns in Jiangxi province were strictly
᜖d̋˸ᜊʷdၚूӋၚf
controlled by and worked exclusively for the court. Although the imperial
͉ۜੂడdኜҖतࣿdɹЪ˙ݴdڢʕόෂ୕d porcelain production of the Xuande reign is characterized by continuity,
๕Іʕ؇ږ᙮ኜf͑ᆀϋගd౻ᅃᕄନΘਿ୴ as many of the shapes and designs introduced in the Yongle period were
ԸడҖd௴ደϤᗳੂడՇόiՉɓd໖ฆৎ͘ retained, the potters never simply duplicated earlier models, but created
↉dᖭකΈdٲ᎕ஹટஈЪഷڀҖ̉ৎd༰ટڐ updated versions by deliberately modifying profiles and fine-tuning details.
Չږ᙮ኜࡡۨiՉɚd໖ೌ͘↉dʔЪකΈdٲ
᎕ஹટஈЪ෥ᆵҖ̉ৎdν͉ۜdϤᗳόһމ The present ewer shape, with its unusual curved, square-sectioned spout that
೽ˇf does not seem to emanate from a potter’s repertoire of forms, is a perfect
case in point. Ultimately indebted to Middle Eastern metal prototypes, it was
౻ᅃᕄ੿㜺ѧ͑ᆀڋಂήᄴಀ̈ɺɓͣཊੂ
taken up by Jingdezhen’s craftsmen in the Yongle period in two di! erent
డಞኜdኜҖၾ͉ۜ޴ڐdਬ˙ݴЪකɹόdϤ
ۜᗳͦۃ͊Ԉ዆ኜπ˰dԈ౻ᅃᕄमʆ̈ɺ versions, one more eccentric, faintly lobed and with a star-shaped collar
͑ᆀ܁ᅃ֜㜺ନኜ࢝ᚎ‘d࠰ಥᖵஔ᎜d࠰ around the neck, closer to the metal original, the other circular and with a
ಥd1989ϋdᇜ໮6€ྡɓ circular collar and thus more in tune with a potter’s manufacturing methods,
as seen in the present piece. In the short period between the early Yongle and
Ϥᗳੂడʘڡڀۜ၇dᏐ׵Ϥܝ௴ደfడԒ
ᖭུٻႂe߇ໟeӫʗeീڀe˜֙ഃڀ the Xuande reign, this latter shape, which is much rarer than the former, was
̓dڀකЧᎀd،໢߱ସdႾ˸Ϋ७e՜ণ itself modi" ed twice.
ʿڀᖙ७ഃdࡆϞՊۨ׼ڋڡڀ७ུࠬࣸf
Ϥࣛಂੂడ˙ݴЪ໡ᘻҖݴˆf޴ᗫЪԷd The early Yongle stratum of the Jingdezhen imperial kiln sites already brought
ਞϽᎍΛૺdMing Ceramics in the British to light the discarded remains of a monochrome white ewer of this form,
Museum‘dࡐ౱d2001ϋdᇜ໮3 15f with the square spout fully opened, a model of which no example appears to
have survived intact, see Imperial Porcelain of the Yongle and Xuande Periods
͉ۜੂడʘࡡۨdуމɪࠑ͑ᆀడԷdڀ̓
Excavated from the Site of the Ming Imperial Factory at Jingdezhen, Hong Kong
७ུڐΝdਬɓᓃ୚ື޴ମj͑ᆀԷݴˆ໡
Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1989, cat. no. 6 (" g. 1).
ᘻЪφɹdϾ͉ۜۆމ̻ɹf
A blue-and-white version of this shape may have been developed somewhat
Νᗳ܁ᅃ੭ಛੂడd዆ኜ͊Ԉ˼Էd್౻ᅃ
ᕄमʆ׼˾੿㜺፲ѧdಀ̈ɺɓ܁ᅃ੭ಛੂ later in the Yongle reign. Painted with hibiscus, musk mallow, peony,
డಞኜdၾ͉ۜ఻ڐ޴Νdᄿ຾ഹ፽dν࠰ chrysanthemum, rose and other # owers, all with matching blooms and leaves
ಥᖵஔ᎜࢝ᚎྡ፽dۃࠑ̈ஈd1989ϋdᇜ densely interlaced around the body, pinks around the neck, and key-fret,
໮79i౻ᅃᕄ̈ɺ׼܁ᅃ֜㜺ନኜ‘dᒿ classic-scroll and petal-panel borders, it combines the archetypal designs
ᐤߕஔ᎜d̨̏d1998ϋdᇜ໮22i౻ of early Ming blue-and-white. The spout is now partly closed and pierced
ᅃᕄ̈ɺʩ׼֜㜺ନኜ‘dف䔔ᖵஔ᎜d̏ only with a double-gourd shaped opening; see the ewer illustrated in Jessica
ԯd1999ϋdᇜ໮118i౻ᅃᕄ̈ɺ׼˾੿ Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, no. 3:15.
㜺ନኜ‘d̏ԯd2009ϋdྡو076€ྡɚ
Ї̬f