Page 29 - Nov 29 2017 HK Important Chinese Ceramics

A less constricted style of waves in underglaze copper red can be seen With the addition of the two contrasting dots in the later Ming
on a Kangxi urn in the collection of the Palace Museum Beijing period, the symbol became associated with ancient He tu ( 河圖
(illustrated in Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (III), The Yellow River Map) of antiquity.
Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum 36, op. cit., p.
208, no. 190). These waves are closer in style to those on the current The Yongzheng Emperor was known to have been deeply
vase. The waves on the urn are drawn in fine lines, and have both committed to imperial Confucian teachings, enjoyed Confucian
undulating waves with breaking crests, and rolling spume, like those political discourse, and justified the policies adopted during his reign
on the current vase. The difference is that the Kangxi urn has small through classical allusions. He defended Qing rule in China on the
circular bubbles amongst the waves, while the current Yongzheng principles of legitimacy drawn from the writings of Mencius. He
vase only has them on the tips and upper edge of the waves – was also a keen adherent of Chan Buddhism, which also influenced
highlighting the dynamic form. It is also interesting to note that the his decisions in government. However, he was additionally
extraordinary finesse and control seen in the decoration of this vase interested in Daoism, being an intensely superstitious man, who
is in complete contrast to the somewhat more informal approach sought to understand omens and believed in Daoist techniques for
to underglaze copper red and cobalt blue decoration seen on vessels longevity. It is not, therefore, so surprising to find the taiji symbols
such as the Yongzheng double-gourd flask in Ming style in the and the Eight Trigrams on this vase.
collection of the Tianjin Municipal Museum (illustrated in Porcelains Yongzheng vases of this form with similar decoration are very rare.
from the Tianjin Municipal Museum, Hong Kong, 1993, no. 146). A pair of these vases was included in an exhibition of Coloured
Chinese Porcelain held by the Burlington Fine Arts Club in 1896, nos.
The blue and white decoration on the current vase is also of 475 and 476. These vases, which belonged to George R. Davies, were
considerable interest since it comprises the taijitu and the Eight
Trigrams. The divided circle known as the taijitu 太極圖 is a illustrated by W. G. Gulland in Chinese Porcelain, vol. II, London,
1911, no. 655. It seems likely that these vases were sold individually
symbol representing the ‘great ultimate’ in both its singular and by Sotheby’s Hong Kong in November 1979, lot 224 and November
dual manifestations. The whole taijitu is made up of five parts, and 1980, lot 316, with the vases being sold again by Sotheby’s Hong
the part represented on this vase, which is known either as taijitu Kong in May 1994, lot 192, and Sotheby’s New York in March 1998,
or yinyang 陰陽 symbol, is in fact the second part of the whole. lot 677. A further similar vase was in the Meiyintang Collection
(It was the Song dynasty Confucian scholar Zhu Xi ( 朱 熹 AD (illustrated in R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Meiyintang Collection,
1130–1200) who described taiji as the alternating principle of yin vol. 4, London, 2010, no. 1707). The current vase was discussed by
and yang.) The taiji diagram was introduced by the Song dynasty R. P. Marchant, ‘Some Interesting Pieces of marked Ch’ing
philosopher Zhou Dunyi ( 周敦頤 AD 1017–73) in his Taijitu shuo Porcelain’, Hong Kong O.C.S. Bulletin, no. 3, 1977-78, figs. 57-59,
太極圖說 (Explanation of the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate), where the author also mentions a companion vase in the Avery
which synthesized aspects of Chinese Buddhism and Daoism with Brundage Foundation.
metaphysical discussions in the Yijing ( 易經 The Book of Changes).
This became an important aspect of Neo-Confucian cosmology. Comparing the shape and the decoration of this vase to imperial
The diagram is combined with the Eight Trigrams ( 八卦 bagua) porcelains of the Kangxi reign, it seems likely that the vase was
and called the ‘River Chart spontaneously generated by Heaven and made in the early years of the Yongzheng period. The Yongzheng
Earth’. Zhao Huiqian ( 趙撝謙 AD 1351–95) appears to have been Emperor was known for his refined tastes and his insistence on
the first to introduce the “swirling” variant of the taijitu in the 1370s, perfection, and this exceptional and rare vase reflects many of the
in his Liushu benyi 六書本義 . The underglaze blue taiji symbols on finest aspects of porcelain made for this exacting imperial patron.
the current vase are also combined with the Eight Trigrams, also in The body material is of the finest quality, the potting is extremely
underglaze blue. In the Daoist canon compiled during the Ming accomplished, the shape is graceful, and the decoration is beautifully
dynasty there were a number of variants of this taijitu, and it appears painted and skilfully disposed over the vessel to complement the
to have been the Ming dynasty writer Lai Zhide ( 來 知 德 AD form, to allow each element adequate space and to allow the pure
1525–1604) who simplified the taijitu into two interlocking spirals. whiteness of the body material to be appreciated.

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