Page 101 - Tianminlou Hong Kong Sotheby's April 3 2019

This jar is striking for its delicate yet lively jinping (receptacle for chopsticks) and zhadou
painting of dragons amidst a luscious floral (spittoon) would certainly be placed on the
scroll, a motif that originated in the early Ming tables (The Radiant Ming 1368-1644 through
dynasty and was particularly favoured at the the Min Chiu Society Collection, Hong Kong
Zhengde court. The writhing movement of Museum of History, Hong Kong, 2015-2016,
the creature, which captures its auspicious p. 37).
and positive essence, the unctuous glaze and Three closely related zhadou in the Palace
well-proportioned body of the vessel are all Museum, Beijing, were included in the
characteristic of this period.
Museum’s exhibition Imperial Porcelains
The Zhengde reign marks a transition from from the Reign of Hongzhi and Zhengde in
the refined porcelain vessels of the preceding the Ming Dynasty, Beijing, 2017, vol. 2, cat.
Chenghua reign to the bold designs of the nos 180-182, together with a reconstructed
Jiajing period. Stylistic changes resulted from example excavated at the imperial kiln site
the political and social instability created by in Zhushan, cat. no. 418; one in the National
the excessive power and increasing number of Palace Museum, Taipei, was included in
corrupt eunuchs at court. While the Zhengde Radiating Hues of Blue and White, Taipei, 2016,
Emperor was encouraged to live a life of luxury pl. 76; another from the Sir Percival David
and extravagance away from official duties, collection now in the British Museum, London,
eunuchs took control of court administration. is published in Oriental Ceramics. The World’s
This had a profound effect on porcelain Great Collections, Tokyo, 1980, vol. 6, pl. 124;
production at the Imperial kilns in Jingdezhen: and a further example from the Lauritzen
the standard of quality for imperial porcelain collection in the Museum of Far Eastern
remained exceptionally high and the variety Antiquities, Stockholm, is illustrated ibid., vol.
of forms and designs increased, however 8, pl. 228.
production shrank as testified by the small Zhadou of this type from important private
amount of excavated material. The subtle collections have also been sold at auction; a jar
hue of the cobalt blue of these wares as from the collections of L.F. Hay, H.M. Knight
seen on this jar is also noticeably different and Frederick Knight, included in the exhibition
from the preceding and succeeding reigns, Oosterse Schatten. 4000 Jaar Aziatische
as the material most probably came from Kunst, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 1954, cat.
local mines. The Ruizhou fuzhi (Annals of no. 247, was sold in our London rooms, 16th
Ruizhou prefecture) from 1515 mentions that June 1939, lot 99, in these rooms, 18th May
‘At Tianzi Hill in Shanggao County [Jiangxi 1982, lot 30, and in our New York rooms, 15th
province] there is a nameless stone which June 1983, lot 278; one from the Meiyintang
is used at Jingdezhen as a painting medium collection was sold in these rooms, 7th April
on porcelain’, which suggests that Jiangxi 2011, lot 60; and another from the collection
was one source of cobalt pigment (Wang of Ira and Nancy Koger, was sold at Christie’s
Qingzheng, Qinghua youlihong/ Underglaze New York, 19th September 2006, lot 245, and
Blue and Red, Hong Kong, 1987, p. 11). again in these rooms, 8th October 2013, lot
Both the form and decoration of this jar follow 212.
early Ming prototypes. The globular shape with It is interesting to note that this jar belongs
its wide everted rim originated from archaic to a group of blue and white wares from the
bronze zun, but was made in porcelain from Zhengde reign that feature a reign mark
the early 15th century. Over the centuries the with the ‘nian’ character written with four
rim evolved to become wider and the body horizontal strokes and a slightly elongated
more compact. Although jars of this form are ‘de’ character. The mark on all these wares
often referred to as ‘spittoons’, they were appears to have been written by the same
probably used as general waste jars at table. hand, and is also found on the excavated
A Yuan scholar observed that ‘During Song zhadou mentioned above.
times, when prominent families held banquets,

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