Page 125 - Sotheby's Sir Quo Wei Lei Collection Oct. 3, 2018

This moonflask belongs to a distinct group of vessels which 18th Dynasty of Egypt (c.1543-1292 BC), but continued to be
represented a new departure of Chinese porcelain in both popular there for centuries. Examples from 6th/7th century
form and decoration to derive their inspiration from abroad. Roman Egypt were known as St Menas flasks since, filled
The formal arrangement of the geometric star-shaped with oils or holy water, they served Christian pilgrims to the
medallion is probably adapted from Middle Eastern motifs, tomb of St Menas near Alexandria as souvenirs, which gave
with only the narrow flower scroll band on the bulb and rise to the term ‘pilgrims’ flasks’. It was around that time that
small floral sprays at the handles seeming to derive from such flasks (bianhu) arrived in China, probably with Sogdian
the traditional Chinese repertoire. The delicate floral design merchants, and were copied in lead-glazed earthenware.
admirably serves to soften the strict geometry of the overall When the Jingdezhen potters became interested in this shape
design. in the Yongle period, they adapted it in various ways, with
nature designs well matched to a more rounded form and this
A closely related moonflask was sold at Christie’s Hong
Kong, 30th May 2005, lot 1451, and again in these rooms, 8th formal design perfectly suited to this somewhat angled shape.
October 2013, lot 222; and another was sold in these rooms, The star-shaped rosettes are composed in a geometric
24th November 1981, lot 79. Slightly smaller moonflasks of manner that seems designed to discourage any potential
this type include one in the collection of the Ottoman sultans evocation of naturalistic imagery. Both its formality and
in Turkey, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in abstraction are highly unusual in a Chinese context and are
the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, London, 1986, vol. 2, probably also due to Middle Eastern inspiration. While the
pl. 616; one from the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, included same can be said for the enclosing chevron and classic scroll
in the exhibition Seika jiki ten [Exhibition of blue and white borders, the flower-scroll band at the neck and the small floral
porcelain from the Shanghai Museum], Matsuya Ginza, Tokyo, sprigs at the handles on the other hand are in tune with the
1988, cat. no. 16; another, from the Jingguantang and Huang traditional Chinese design repertoire. It admirably serves to
Ding Xuan collections, included in the exhibition In Pursuit of mellow the rigidity of the overall design.
Antiques. Thirty-Fifth Anniversary Exhibition of the Min Chiu Related geometric decoration in the early Ming period is also
Society, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1995, cat. no. found on other blue and white porcelains from the imperial
124, sold in these rooms, 29th October 1991, lot 29, and twice kilns, particularly in the interior or around the exterior of
at Christie’s Hong Kong, 3rd November 1996, lot 545, and, bowls: four such bowls of the Yongle period in the Palace
28th November 2006, lot 1512; and a fourth sold in our Paris Museum, Beijing, are illustrated in Geng Baochang, ed.,
rooms, 18th December 2009, lot 65.
Gugong Bowuyuan cang Ming chu qinghua ci [Early Ming blue-
This double-handled, oval-sectioned shape is probably derived and-white porcelain in the Palace Museum], Beijing, 2002, vol.
from pottery vessels that can ultimately be traced to the 1, pls 61-4.