Page 90 - Sotheby's Chinese Art and Porcelain Auction New York September 12, 2018

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A FINE GREEN-ENAMELED ‘DRAGON’ Imperial porcelain dishes with green-enameled 㖶㬋⽟ġġġ䘥⛘㘿⇣㴟㯜䳈偶䵈⼑暚
DISH dragon designs Þ rst appeared in the Chenghua 漵䲳䚌
period (1465-87), with and sometimes without
ZHENGDE MARK AND PERIOD
reign marks. More were manufactured in later ˪⣏㖶㬋⽟⸜墥˫㫦
with shallow rounded sides supported on periods of the Ming dynasty, particularly during
a short slightly tapered foot, the interior the Hongzhi (r. 1488-1505) and Zhengde (r. Ը๕
decorated with a central medallion enclosing 1506-21) periods, and almost always with NeilġFįġPhillipsġĩ1924Į1997Īġ㓞啷
a Þ ve-clawed dragon writhing among stylized reign marks. The various periods of the Qing Reachġ⭞㕷㓞啷
clouds, the head, scaly body and limbs Þ nely dynasty spanning from Kangxi (r. 1662-1722) to EskenaziġLtdį炻ΐ㔎
incised, reserved on the biscuit and covered Guangxu (r. 1875-1908) also saw the production 䍓勝➪㓞啷
with green enamel, the claws and spikes picked of ‘green dragon’ dishes, demonstrating their 楁㷗喯⭴㭼2012⸜10㚰9㖍炻䶐嘇21
out in green enamel over the glaze, all within importance as a classic and representative
a green circle repeated at the rim, the exterior type of porcelain favored at the Ming and Qing ࢝ᚎ
incised with two Þ ve-clawed dragons striding imperial courts. As well as saucer-shaped ˪ChineseġArtġfromġtheġReachġFamilyġ
above crested waves and rocks, similarly dishes, matching bowls were made in this Collection˫炻EskenaziġLtd炻ΐ㔎炻1989
reserved on the biscuit and painted with a green decorative scheme. While dragons on most ⸜炻䶐嘇40
enamel against the white ground, the base with Qing dishes are only painted over the glaze in ˪EvolutionġtoġPerfectionįġChineseġCeramicsġ
a six-character reign in underglaze blue within green, on Ming examples they are usually Þ rst fromġtheġMeiyintangġCollection˫炻Sportingġ
a double ring incised and reserved in the biscuit during Þ ring d’Hiver炻呁⛘⌉伭炻1996⸜炻䶐嘇127
Diameter 7 in., 17.8 cm and their silhouettes then Þ lled with green
enamel for a second Þ ring. This extra procedure ̈و
PROVENANCE of incising gives a somewhat three dimensional
⹟哲⏃炻˪䍓勝➪ᷕ⚳昞䒟˫炻ΐ
Collection of Neil F. Phillips (1924-1997). touch to the Þ nished product. 㔎炻1994Į2010⸜炻⌟2炻䶐嘇694
Collection of the Reach Family. Closely related dishes include one in the
Eskenazi Ltd., London. British Museum, London, published in Jessica
The Meiyintang Collection. Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics in the British
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 9th October 2012, lot 21. Museum, London, 2001, pls 8: 33-35; one in the
Shanghai Museum, illustrated in Lu Minghua,
EXHIBITED
Shanghai Bowuguan zangpin yanjiu daxi/
Chinese Art from the Reach Family Collection, Studies of the Shanghai Museum Collections:
Eskenazi Ltd, London, 1989, cat. no. 40. A Series of Monographs. Mingdai guanyao ciqi
Evolution to Perfection. Chinese Ceramics from [Ming imperial porcelain], Shanghai, 2007,
the Meiyintang Collection/Evolution vers la pl. 1-44; and another from the Leshantang
perfection. Céramiques de Chine de la Collection Collection, published in The Leshantang
Meiyintang, Sporting d’Hiver, Monte Carlo, Collection of Chinese Porcelain, Taipei, 2005, pl.
1996, cat. no. 127. 18. See also a dish of this type, from collections
of R.H.R. Palmer and Edward T. Chow, included
LITERATURE
in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition
Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Polychrome Porcelain of the Ming and Manchu
Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. Dynasties, London, 1950, cat. no. 77, sold in our
2, no. 694. London rooms, 27th November 1962, lot 18 and
our Hong Kong rooms, 25th November 1980,
$ 200,000-300,000
lot 37; a second dish from the Edward T. Chow
collection sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 19th
May 1981, lot 447; and a dish from the British
Rail Pension Fund sold four times in our rooms,
in London, 13th December 1966, lot 73; 1st July
1969, lot 149; and 17th November 1970, lot 76,
and in Hong Kong, 16th May 1989, lot 27.

88 SOTHEBY’S IMPORTANT CHINESE ART