Page 102 - 2019 October Qing Imperial Porcelain Sotheby's Hong Kong

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A FINE SMALL COPPER-RED GLAZED MEIPING 清雍正 紅釉小梅瓶
MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG
《大清雍正年製》款
the skilfully potted body gently broadening to a full rounded
shoulder and surmounted by a short neck, the exterior
applied with a rich copper-red glaze, the white base inscribed
in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark within a
double circle
12.1 cm, 4¾ in.
HK$ 800,000-1,200,000
US$ 103,000-154,000

This charming small vase testifies the Yongzheng Emperor’s
penchant for unassuming vessels that were technically
challenging to produce. Its delightful form, with gently
swollen shoulder and small mouth, is covered in a rich and
vivid red glaze derived from copper. Notoriously difficult to
control in the kiln, copper red was largely abandoned in the
late 15th century and its use revived only in the early Qing
dynasty. The French Jesuit missionary, Pére D’Entrecolles
(1664-1741), who resided in China during the Kangxi reign
(r. 1662-1722), described in detail in a letter from 1712 the
manufacturing process of copper-red wares, confirming the
high level of technical expertise of the potters at Jingdezhen
(Nigel Wood, Chinese Glazes, London, 1999, p. 180).
Yongzheng mark and period meiping covered in this striking
glaze and of such small proportions are rare. A slightly larger
meiping was sold twice in these rooms, 8th April 2007, lot
710, and 5th October 2011, lot 1995. Compare also a meiping
of similar small size but lacking the reign mark, sold in these
rooms, 16th November 1988, lot 299.

Mark

100 SOTHEBY ’S QING IMPERIAL PORCELAIN