Page 47 - In His Majesty's Palm Excuisite Playthings April 5 17 HK Sothebys
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This exquisitely painted piece is an extremely rare version of freer interpretation of the design, with elements such as one
chicken cups produced during the Yongzheng reign that were cock bending down with its tail in the air, the eight chicks
directly inspired by the treasured Chenghua originals. In form, spaced more evenly around the surface and significantly
composition and style of reign mark on the base, it closely altered proportions of rockworks and plants; see one from
follows the Chenghua prototype but with the slightest variation the collection of Mrs Walter C. Sedgwick, included in the
on the design, such as the more elaborate tails of the cocks Oriental Ceramic Society exhibitions Enamelled Polychrome
instead of three long feathers. Furthermore, the proportions of the Manchu Dynasty, London, 1951, cat. no. 100, and Arts of
of the flowers and rocks have also been rendered in a more the Ch’ing Dynasty, London, 1964, cat. no. 194, illustrated in
refined manner in accordance with the taste of the Yongzheng Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection,
Emperor, with bamboo replacing the day lilies. No other cup vol. 4, pt. II, London, 2010, pl. 1745, sold in these rooms, 14th
with these variations appears to have been published although November 1989, lot 230; one illustrated in Julian Thompson,
a similarly composed cup, but with one cock facing right and The Alan Chuang Collection of Chinese Porcelain, Hong Kong,
bamboo and lily growing from one set of rockwork, was sold at 2009, pl. 52; and a pair included in the Min Chiu Society
Christie’s Hong Kong, 31st October 2000, lot 911. Thirtieth Anniversary exhibition Selected Treasures of Chinese
Art, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1990, cat. no. 165,
Compare a related cup, but even closer to the Chenghua sold in these rooms, 27th April 1993, lot 182, and again, 8th
original, with similarly rendered rockwork, flowers and feathers April 2014, lot 3109. Further cups of this type include one sold
of the cocks, from the Edward T. Chow Collection, illustrated in in these rooms 28th April 1998, lot 815; one sold at Christie’s
Cecile and Michel Beurdeley, La Ceramique Chinoise, Fribourg, Hong Kong, 29th April 2002, lot 608, and again in these
1974 col. pls 71 and 72 right, together with a Chenghua (left) rooms, 2nd May 2005, lot 608; another sold in these rooms,
and Kangxi (middle) version, sold in these rooms, 25th 15th May 1990, lot 284, and again at Christie’s Hong Kong,
November 1980, lot 139; and another sold twice in these 27th May 2009, lot 1822; and a fourth cup sold at Christie’s
rooms, 17th November 1975, lot 39, and 3rd May 1994, lot 143. Hong Kong, 3rd June 2015, lot 3144.
The design of a cock and a hen with chicks in a garden setting For examples of the Chenghua original, see eight in the
was a design innovation of the Chenghua reign, although the National Palace Museum, Taipei, of which six were included
subject was a well-known topic of Song dynasty painting. By in Chenghua ciqi tezhan/Special Exhibition of Ch’eng-hua
the Yongzheng period, developments in enamel technology Porcelain Ware, 1465-1487, National Palace Museum, Taipei,
saw the invention of glossy black enamel that was added to the cat. nos 132-7; one from the Sir Percival David Collection, and
tails of the cocks to capture the richness of the birds as well now in the British Museum, London, included in the exhibition
as provide an attractive calligraphic contrast with the doucai Flawless Porcelains. Imperial Ceramics from the Reign of the
palette. The black on Chenghua cups was actually a dark Chenghua Emperor, Percival David Foundation of Chinese
colour derived by adding khaki-green enamel to underglaze Art, London, 1995, cat. no. 22; another from the Mrs Leopold
blue, while the black enamel developed in the Kangxi period Dreyfus and Meiyintang collections, sold in these rooms, 8th
was matt and relatively unstable so required a layer of clear April 2014, lot 1; and two from the Edward T. Chow Collection,
pale green or purple to be applied over the top. sold in these rooms, 25th November 1980, lot 139.
Chicken cups of the Yongzheng period are more commonly
found produced in the Chenghua shape but painted with a
IN HIS MAJESTY’S PALM: EXQUISITE PORCELAIN PLAYTHINGS 45
