Page 14 - Nov 29 2017 HK Important Chinese Ceramics

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A VERY RARE JUN PURPLE-SPLASHED BOTTLE A closely related example to the current lot is a Jun vase excavated
VASE at a Jin-period tomb in Jinshanjin, Beijing (fig. 3). This tomb, dated
LATE NORTHERN SONG-EARLY JIN DYNASTY, 12TH CENTURY to the early Jin dynasty, prior to Dading first year (1160), contains a
stone sarcophagus buried in earth, a feature commonly seen in burials
The well potted pear-shaped vase rises to a tall slender neck gently reserved for the Jurchen people. It is very likely that the vase found
flaring to the mouth rim, applied overall with a lustrous lavender- there was made in the late Northern Song period, and later fell into
blue glaze embellished with purplish-red splashes on the body and the hands of a Jurchen owner during the invasion of Kaifeng and
neck, the thick glaze stops just above the high foot ring to reveal Zhengzhou areas in Henan by the Jin people. The Percival David and
Jinshanjin tomb yuhuchunping share several commonalities, including a
the body beneath. small mouth whose width measures about one third of that of the body;
11 Ω in. (29.2 cm.) high, box a long, slightly flared neck which tapers towards the middle of the vase,
and an elegantly curved pear-shaped body. Towards the mid-late Jin to
HK$1,500,000-2,500,000 US$200,000-320,000 early Yuan period, this form experienced a transformation- the mouth
became more flared and the neck became shorter. An exemplary piece
from this period is a carved Yaozhou yuhuchunping excavated from a
北宋晚期 / 金早期 鈞窯天青釉紅斑玉壺春瓶 hoard in Huachixian, Gansu (fig. 4), which can be dated to the late Jin
dynasty. Such change of form is even more prominent on Yuan-dynasty
Based on the findings in 2001 from the excavation of a Jun kiln site pieces, such as the Jun yuhuchunping excavated from the tomb of Feng
in Shenhouzhen in Yuzhou, Henan, the time frame of Jun ceramic Daozhen, dating to Zhiyuan second year (1265) (fig. 5). Amongst all
production can be divided into three phases. The firing of Jun wares these examples of Jun yuhuchunping, those from the Northern Song
began in the late Northern Song period, during the reigns of Huizong dynasty are undoubtedly the most elegant in form and lustrous in
and Qinzong. The production of Jun wares during this period was still colour.
relatively small in scale. Thus Northern Song Jun wares are extremely
rare. The characteristics of these early Jun wares include a very fine The yuhuchun-form vase first made its appearance in the Northern and
clay body of russet, russet-brown or pale russet colour; a relatively thin, Southern Dynasties. During the Tang period, it was used mainly as a
viscous glaze which is subtle in colour, as seen in an excavated box water sprinkler in Buddhist temples. Its form became standardised
(fig. 1), and often turns to mushroom near the mouth or to a pale pinkish during the Northern Song dynasty, characterised by a long, straight or
colour where it thins, as seen in a lotus-form washer (fig. 2). After the slightly flared neck, small mouth, pear-shaped body and short foot ring.
Jin dynasty, the Jun glaze becomes much brighter and glossier, lacking During this time, it appears that yuhuchunping served primarily as a
the understated elegance seen on Northern Song examples. It is receptacle for flowers, especially prunus. Multiple proses by Northern
extremely unusual to find copper-red splashes on early Jun wares, both Song poets describe flowers or prunus being placed in ‘yuhuchun’,
among excavated and heirloom pieces. Those very few such examples suggesting that this combination was a popular component in the
are often applied with splashes which are large, irregular in shape and scholar’s studio at the time. Later during the Jin and Yuan periods,
pale in colour. Representative examples include the Jun yuhuchunping yuhuchunping acquired an additional function, and became fashionable
(accession no. PDF. 92) and dish with everted mouth (accession no. containers for wine. In a mural found in a tomb in Yuquancun, Shanxi,
PDF. 93) in the Percival David Foundation of Art. During the Jin dynasty, dated to Dading ninth year of the Jin dynasty (1169), a banquet scene
the application of copper-red splashes became much more deliberate is depicted, in which an attendant is shown carrying a yuhuchunping
and controlled. The splashes were reduced in size. wrapped in a towel, suggesting warm wine is contained within (fig. 6).
Bottle vases of yuhuchun-form were also made in other kilns such as
Another important feature of early Jun wares is the application of a Ding, Ru, Yaozhou, Longquan, Jizhou and Jingdezhen during the Jin
thin layer of brown dressing on unglazed areas such as the base and dynasty. However the products are often of lesser quality than their
mouth rim (see fig. 1). This feature ceased to appear on Jun wares from Northern Song counterparts, and were less beloved.
the late Jin dynasty, and did not re-emerge until the late Yuan and
particularly early Ming period, when the quality of Jun ceramics revived Very few Jun wares from the Northern Song dynasty exist today. Even
and reached another climax. The technique of glazing was also the rarer are yuhuchunping with copper-red splashes such as the present
most refined during the late Northern Song dynasty. Most bowls and vase, which would undoubtedly have been a treasured object by the
dishes from that period are fully glazed, covering even the bases, and literati of the time.
were fired either on unglazed foot rings or on spurs. However, the spur (From the Chinese essay on pp. 10-11 by Qin Dashu)
marks are coarser and bigger compared to those on contemporaneous
Ru wares (see fig. 2). All these characteristics of Northern Song Jun
wares can also be found on the current yuhuchunping.

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