Page 224 - Important Chinese Art Sothebys March 2019

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propertY From an Important prIVate piled up four-meters deep that covered an area 西夏 靈武窰黑釉剔劃牡丹紋
CoLLeCtIon of 200,000 square meters. a comprehensive 四繫大罐
AN EXTREMELY LARGE AND report was published by the Institute of
IMPORTANT ‘LINGWU’ CUT-GLAZE archaeology of the Chinese academy of social 來源
WINE JAR sciences, Beijing, in 1995, Ningxia Lingwu yao Malcolm 收藏，應得於1953年之前
fajue baogao, which published shards of vessels
XIXIA DYNASTY decorated with the same technique as the 倫敦蘇富比1977年3月29日，編號144
present discovered at the site. Furthermore, 香港蘇富比1991年4月30日，編號5
of tapered ovoid form rising to a broad shoulder incised marks, similar to that on the present 楊永德伉儷收藏，新加坡
applied with four strap-handles, the body 安思遠 (1929-2014) 收藏
deftly cut through the brown glaze with two jar, have been found on the base of bowl
shards excavated at Lingwu, and several jars
main registers of decoration, the lower band of related form with four ridged handles and 紐約佳士得2002年3月21日，編號135
with four large peony sprays within shaped wide unglazed bands at the shoulder appear on 展覽
cartouches reserved on a ground of leaves 《楊永德伉儷珍藏·黑釉瓷》，西漢南越
and scored lines, the upper band with four many excavated vessels. 王墓博物館，廣州，1997年，編號21
large peony blooms interspersed between the Wares of this carved type were produced by
handles, all within double bowstring borders glazing the entire yellowish body and then
and below wide plain clear and brown-glazed marking out the central and background parts.
borders at the shoulder, the interior and lower Within the central area, three techniques of
body also glazed brown, the base unglazed glaze removal were employed: champlevé in the
countersunk and incised with a cross, the lower scraping off the glaze to make the outline of the
body with a small circular aperture peonies; incising for the petals and leaves; and
height 20½ in., 52 cm sgraffiato in the removal of thicker carved lines.
For the background, only oblique lines were
PROVENANCE used to accentuate the delicacy of the peony.
the malcolm Collection, probably acquired the clay consisted of little sand resulting in a
before 1953. hard and compact body that turned pale yellow
sotheby’s London, 29th march 1977, lot 144. after firing, while the black glaze was composed
sotheby’s hong Kong, 30th april 1991, lot 5. of a type of local black slip with iron oxide as
Yeung Wing tak Collection, singapore. the coloring agent. It was fired in an oxidizing
Collection of r. hatfield ellsworth (1929-2014). kiln at a temperature of approximately 1260°C
Christie’s new York, 21st march 2002, lot 135. to result in an aesthetically pleasing contrast
between the glazed and exposed body, as well
EXHIBITED as a textural contrast between the glossy glaze
Yang Yongde kangli zhencang heiyou ci / and matte unglazed body. these techniques
Black Porcelain from the Mr & Mrs Yeung show that Xixia ceramic production was
Wing Tak Collection, museum of the Western strongly influenced by Cizhou and Ding wares.
han Dynasty mausoleum of the nanyue King, Further examples of Xixia jars decorated with
Guangzhou, 1997, cat. no. 21.
similar cut-glaze techniques include one in the
this magnificent jar belongs to a rare group of meiyintang Collection, illustrated in regina
wares from the Xixia (also known as tangut or Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang
Western Xia) dynasty in the northwest of China, Collection, vol. 1, London, 1994, pls 454 and
which coexisted with the song, Liao and Jin 455. see also a white ‘cut-glaze’ meiping with
dynasties who all produced their own wares. leafy peony design, from the collection of ruth
and Bruce Dayton and now in the minneapolis
the Lingwu kiln was located at Ciyaobao Institute of art, minneapolis, acc. no. 2001.8.
of Lingwu country, ningxia, which lies 50 of the related examples, it is interesting to
kilometres south of the capital of Xixia, note not only the similarities but also the subtle
Yinchuan, and was one of the major sites of differences in the gestural quality of the carving,
ceramic production under the Xixia. From 1984 the proportions of the blossoms and scrolling of
to 1986, the kiln site was excavated resulting the leaves which highlight the individual effort in
in the discovery of shards and kiln implements
their making.
$ 80,000-120,000

222 SOTHEBY’S Important ChInese art