Page 42 - Tianminlou Hong Kong Sotheby's April 3 2019

A JEWEL FROM THE MING IMPERIAL KILNS

Regina Krahl

This little jewel of a jar encapsulates the understated The present jar has traditionally been attributed to the
beauty created at the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen in the Yongle reign, for example, by Julian Thompson in the 1978
early Ming dynasty. With its softly painted dragon motif, it T.Y. Chao exhibition catalogue and in the 1987 Tianminlou
is not only endearing to look at, but with its well-rounded catalogue, but Geng Baochang has in 1993 published it as
form also a pleasure to hold. It is of extreme rarity and a Xuande example. A jar of this design, inscribed with the
may represent a unique example preserved from the Xuande mark and thus undoubtedly of the Xuande period
Yongle period (1403-1424), of a design that continued does exist; it was sold at Christie’s London, 14th-16th
to be produced at the imperial kilns during the Xuande December 1983, lot 407, and twice in these rooms, 10th
(1426-1435) and Chenghua (1465-1487) reigns. The design April 2006, lot 1663, and 11th April 2008, lot 2931 (fig. 1).
remained extremely rare, however, in each of these periods This Xuande version shows, however, variations both in
and appears to have been discontinued thereafter. form and in design, differing in its silhouette, with the sides
being less rounded, and differing in its painting style, with
The striking winged dragons riding on waves made their
appearance in the Yongle period and were depicted in more white space left around the design and the waves
many different ways. The current form of the ‘fish dragon’, being more stylized. While pieces from the same period
an animal in the process of transformation from fish to tend to be quite similar in style, such subtle adjustations
dragon – and thus symbolizing the transformation of an of a pattern are well known to have taken place between
aspiring student to a graduate of the imperial examinations, the Yongle and Xuande reigns, and these changes may well
i.e. success – is rather unusual, as it still retains fins, suggest an earlier date, in the Yongle reign, for the present
but has already grown impressive wings. Similar fanciful piece. Although a Xuande date cannot be excluded, the
beasts, but differently rendered, can be seen on massive lack of a reign mark would also make a Yongle dating more
Xuande fish bowls, such as one in the Sir Percival David likely.
Collection, illustrated in Oriental Ceramics. The World’s Two jars of this design are also known of Chenghua mark
Great Collections, Tokyo, New York and San Francisco, and period, with an even more pronounced shoulder, a
1980-82, vol. 6, no. 95, or another sold in these rooms, more regular design layout and a more even cobalt blue,
5th November 1997, lot 1403. Other winged dragons one formerly in the Sedgwick collection and now the
generally have no fins and either three-clawed front legs collection of the Asia Society, New York, is illustrated
and a fanciful curled tail, as on a Yongle jar sold in these in Denise Patry Leidy, Treasures of Asian Art: The Asia
rooms, 16th May 1989, lot 112, and illustrated in Sotheby’s. Society’s Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection,
Thirty Years in Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2003, no. 211; or New York, 1994, pl. 189 (fig. 2); the other was included in
four-clawed front legs, like on a Xuande stemcup from the the Kau Chi Society exhibition Ancient Chinese Ceramics,
Pilkington collection, sold in these rooms, 6th April 2016, Hong Kong, 1981, cat. no. 70.
lot 24.

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