Page 56 - Important Chinese Art Sothebys March 2019

524

A FINE RUBY-GROUND ‘FLORAL’ MEDALLION sumptuously enameled with floral medallions reserved on
BOWL a vibrant ruby-pink ground, the present bowl belongs to a
THE PORCELAIN YONGZHENG MARK AND small group of porcelains now believed to have been painted
PERIOD during the early republic period on undecorated ‘blank’
Yongzheng mark and period bowls. the bowl demonstrates
THE ENAMELS LATER-ADDED one of the rare and masterfully devised Yongzheng designs
the rounded sides rising from a slightly tapered foot, of perfectly circular, unbordered medallions. only one other
the exterior with four medallions reserved against a rich bowl of this design appears to be known, possibly the mate
fuchsia-colored ground, each medallion finely painted with to the present lot, sold at Christie’s London, 13th December
auspicious flowers in full bloom, two of the medallions 1976, lot 69.
enclosing lush peonies and blossoming white magnolia the concept of the ‘medallion’ design was also realized on
branches forming the rebus yutang fugui (‘may your noble the so-called ‘butterfly’ bowls of the Yongzheng period, of
house be blessed with wealth and honor’), the other two which republic copies also exist; see Ye peilan, Appraising
medallions enclosing blossoming crabapple branches arcing Ancient Chinese Ceramics, taipei, 1994, pp. 175-6.
over massive peony blooms forming the rebus mantang fugui Compare also a smaller famille-rose ‘peach and bat’ bowl,
(‘may the entire family be wealthy and honored’), the petals
of each flower naturalistically rendered, a small dragonfly painted with five roundels on a white ground, formerly in the
hovering amidst the flora in each scene, the base with a six- collection of alfred e. hippisley (1848-1939) and illustrated
character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle in his book, A Sketch of the History of Ceramic Art in China.
With a Catalogue of the Hippisley Collection of Chinese
Diameter 5⅝ in., 14.3 cm
Porcelains, Washington D.C., 1902, cat. no. 96, later in the
PROVENANCE meiyintang Collection, sold in our hong Kong rooms, 9th
october 2012, lot 32.
Yamanaka & Co., new York, 2nd January 1937.
Collection of stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978). $ 300,000-500,000

清雍正 後加粉彩胭脂紅地開光花卉圖盌
《大清雍正年製》款
來源
山中商會，紐約，1937年1月2日
史蒂芬•瓊肯三世（1978年逝）收藏

54 SOTHEBY’S Important ChInese art