Page 73 - 2019 October Qing Imperial Porcelain Sotheby's Hong Kong

Sophisticated in its simplicity and understated elegance, Suantouping of this reign seem to be mostly decorated
this vase typifies Yongzheng (1723-35) imperial porcelain with contemporary invented polychrome glazes, compare,
at its best. The luminous Ru-type glaze and the graceful, for example, a robin's egg piece from the collection of the
unassuming shape with its minimalist decoration are an ideal National Palace Museum in Taipei, published in the Illustrated
match, and yet this association appears to be extremely rare. Catalogue of Ch’ing Dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace
Museum. K’ang-hsi Ware and Yung-chêng Ware, vol. 1,
During the short reign of the Yongzheng Emperor, Qing Tokyo, 1980, no. 146; and a robin’s-egg blue vessel from the
imperial wares reached their apogee attaining an exquisite
finesse, rarely found in those of later periods. The Emperor collection of J. M. Hu, included in the exhibition Zande Lou
Qingdai guanyao danseyou ciqi/Qing Imperial Monochromes.
was fascinated with antiquity and is known to have sent
numerous pieces of different ancient ceramic styles to The Zande Lou Collection, The Chinese University of Hong
Kong, Hong Kong, 2005, cat. no. 20.
the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen so that craftsmen could
use them as examples in the creation of new pieces. Song Or, they were embellished with other glazes achieved
dynasty (960-1279) wares were one of the Emperor’s involuntarily in an imitation process, such as two vases with
favourites, particularly Ru, the most celebrated of all. a speckled glaze reminiscent of lazurite, from the collection
of the Palace Museum, Beijing, included in the exhibition
The present vase is a quintessential example of one of China. The Three Emperors 1662-1795, Royal Academy of
those new pieces created under the guidance of the brilliant
kiln supervisor Tang Ying (1682-1756). In shape, it copies Arts, London, 2006, cat. no. 179; and illustrated in Zhongguo
taoci quanji/The Complete Works of Chinese Ceramics vol.
Song dynasty vases produced at the Longquan kilns in
Zhejiang province, which in their turn had been modelled 14: Qing, part 1, Shanghai, 1999, no. 205.
after archaic bronze wine vessels of the late Eastern Zhou Ru-type suantouping are better known from the succeeding
period (770-256 BC) known as hu. A Longquan model for the Qianlong reign (1736-1795), compare, for example, a closely
current piece would have been a vase from the Qing court related vase illustrated in Sekai tōji zenshū/Catalogue
collection, equally designed with a high foot and elegantly of World’s Ceramics, vol.12 China: Ch’ing Dynasty and
sloping shoulders, illustrated in Longquan yao/ Porcelain of Annamese and Thai Ceramics, Tokyo, 1956, pl. 93; and
the National Palace Museum. Lung Ch’uan Ware of the Sung another piece of somewhat less balanced proportions and
Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1962, pl. 10. of smaller size, from the Qing Court collection, illustrated
in Gugong Bowuyuan cang wenwu zhenpin quanji. Danse
Although the simple shape of ‘garlic-head’ vases, or
suantouping, combines well with monochrome glazes, you/The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace
Museum. Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 215.
as the current lot so perfectly demonstrates, pieces of
this type bearing a Yongzheng reign mark appear to be Other related examples have been sold in these rooms, 29th
November 1979, lot 294; 10th April 2006, lot 1610; and 8th
extremely rare. Only one other Ru-type glazed vessel
appears to be published, of similar size, but with a moulded October 2008, lot 2512, from a Japanese private collection.
chrysanthemum petal design, included in the exhibition Ji
xia qing shang/ Ethereal Elegance, Art Museum, The Chinese
University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2007, cat. no. 22, from
the Huaihaitang collection.

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