Page 125 - Sotheby's October 3 2017 Song Ceramics
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A dapted from an archaic bronze form, this elegant censer II-5.6.7, all with fitted wooden covers with Yuan (1279-1368) or Ming
reflects the major impact on the arts that resulted from (1368-1644) jade carvings as knobs, a type known to have been
a drastic political shift during the early Song dynasty, from a commissioned by the Yongzheng Emperor (r. 1723-1735) from the
society ruled by a hereditary aristocracy to one governed by a palace workshops.
central bureaucracy of scholar-officials selected through civil
service examinations. The resulting rise of Neo-Confucian ideals Another censer of this size, with two ribs near the mouth and also with
emphasised the importance of history in the pursuit of virtue. The a metal rim mount, from the Carl Kempe collection and illustrated
increased interest in antiquities led to a revival of archaic jade and in Bo Gyllensvärd, Chinese Ceramics in the Carl Kempe Collection,
bronze forms that Song potters adapted into their repertoire. The Stockholm, 1964, pl. 447, was sold in our London rooms, 14th May
present censer finds its roots in gilt bronze tripod wine vessels 2008, lot 238; another is illustrated in Hsien-ch’i Tseng & Robert
(zun) of the Han dynasty (206 BC – AD 220), generally supported Paul Dart, The Charles B. Hoyt Collection in the Museum of Fine Arts:
on bear-shaped feet, fitted with ring handles and supplied with a Boston, vol. II, Boston, 1972, pl. 29; a larger example, in the Palace
cover, such as an example decorated with animals, that is engraved Museum, Beijing, is published in Selection of Ding Ware. The Palace
with an inscription identifying it as a wine vessel (jiu zun) and dating Museum Collection and Archaeological Excavation, Beijing, 2012, pl.
it in accordance with the year 26 BC, illustrated in Li Xueqin, ed., 41, together with a slightly smaller version excavated from Tomb 1
Zhongguo meishu quanji: Gongyi meishu bian [Complete series on in Yangjiawan, Changsha, Hunan province, and now in the Hunan
Chinese art: Arts and crafts section], 5: Qingtong qi [Bronzes], vol. Provincial Museum, pl. 40; and another in the Tianjin City Art Museum,
2, Beijing, 1986, pl. 217, together with another gilt-bronze wine zun Tianjin, is published in Tianjin Shi Yishu Bowuguan cang ci/Porcelains
with matching tripod stand in the Palace Museum, Beijing, pl. 236, from the Tianjin Municipal Museum, Hong Kong, 1993, pl. 26. Compare
which is decorated with a triple raised band in the centre and single also a much smaller fragmentary example recovered from the Ding kiln
bands at rim and base, not unlike the present piece, and attributed site in Quyang, Hebei province, illustrated in Zhongguo gu ciyao daxi.
to the reign of Guangwudi, AD 25-57. Zhongguo Dingyao/Series of China’s Ancient Porcelain Kiln Sites: Ding
Kiln of China, Beijing, 2012, pl. 108.
For ceramic incense burners, this shape was popular from the Song
dynasty right through to modern times, and this Ding version with This ribbed tripod form was also adopted at other official kilns that
simple raised ribs, became a classic. Five similar Ding examples, in produced wares for the court, for example, the Ru kilns in Baofeng,
various shapes and proportions and with different arrangements Henan province, see Wang Qingzheng, Fan Dongqing & Zhou Lili,
of raised ribs, were included in the exhibition Gugong lidai xiangju Ruyao de faxian/The Discovery of Ru Kiln, Hong Kong, 1991, pls 59
tulu/A Special Exhibition of Incense Burners and Perfumers and 66, for a piece from the collection of Sir Percival David, now in the
Throughout the Dynasties, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1994, British Museum, London, and one from the Palace Museum, Beijing;
cat. nos 35-39, together with a roughly contemporary Jingdezhen and at the Hangzhou guan (‘official’) kilns, see a piece in the National
copy, cat. no. 44, a later Dehua copy, cat. no. 67, and a ‘Guang Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Museum’s exhibition Gui si
ware’ copy, probably from Guangzhou, cat. no. 71, all from the chenxing. Qing gong chuanshi 12 zhi 14 shiji qingci tezhan/Precious
collection of the National Palace Museum. Three of the five Ding as the Morning Star. 12th-14th Century Celadons in the Qing Court
censers in Taipei were also included in the exhibition Dingzhou Collection, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2016, cat. no. II-2, where
hua ci. Yuan zang Dingyaoxi baici tezhan/Decorated Porcelains the author mentions, p. 67, related examples excavated from both the
of Dingzhou. White Ding wares from the collection of the National Laohudong and the Jiaotanxia kiln sites in Hangzhou.
Palace Museum, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2014, cat. no.
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