Page 74 - Important Chinese Art Sothebys March 2019

‘peachbloom’, the evocative term familiar to Western dealers fixed with another layer, so as to be sandwiched between
and collectors in the early 19th century, rocketed to celebrity two layers of clear glaze. the spotted green flecking,
status in 1886 when William t. Walters (1820-1894), whose referred to as pingguo qing ‘apple green’, is possible through
collection initiated the founding of the Walters art museum a technique using varied concentrations of copper that,
in Baltimore, purchased a ‘peach blow or crushed strawberry when exposed during firing, oxidize to form green spots and
color vase’ from the estate of mary morgan for the modulation.
astronomical sum of $18,000. the vase reportedly was part other examples are found in major institutions and
of the Qing Court Collection having once been owned by the collections including one in the Qing Court Collection,
first prince Yi (1686-1730), the thirteenth son of the Kangxi illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the
emperor, and subsequently passed down in the family before Palace Museum, Monochrome Porcelain, hong Kong, 1999,
reaching its 19th century owner. the impressive result of the pl. 18; the shanghai museum, illustrated in Kangxi Porcelain
sale was widely reported, garnering numerous articles and Wares from the Shanghai Museum Collection, hong Kong,
even a poetic parody in the New York Times. In an article 1998, pl. 204; the national palace museum, taipei illustrated
entitled ‘high priced Bric-a-Brac; sale of Curios in mrs. mary in Catalogue of a Special Exhibition of Ch’ing-Dynasty
morgan’s Collection, the Famous peachblow Vase sells for Monochrome Porcelains in the National Palace Museum,
$18,000’, New York Times, 9th march 1886, it was recorded, taipei, 1981, pl. 2. another from the Baur Collection
‘Its peculiar color, that of a peach blossom, was a perfect illustrated by John. ayers, The Baur Collection, Geneva, vol.
reproduction of that peculiar tint which is so difficult to III, 1972, pl. a302.
obtain. It was this feature which set collectors to raving…’.
see two vases of this form and decoration sold in our hong
stephen Bushell, the scholar who advised mr. Walters, Kong rooms, one on 8th october 2006, lot 1017 and the
describes the glaze and some of its associated terminology other on 23rd october 2005, lot 314; and another from
in Oriental Ceramic Art: Illustrated Examples from the the Jinguantang Collection sold at Christie’s hong Kong,
Collection of W. T. Walters, 1899, new York, 1981 where he 3rd november 1996, lot 557. a vase of this type from the
comments that he prefers the expression ‘peach bloom’ metropolitan museum of art, new York, sold at Christie’s
to ‘peach blow’, ‘because the latter is only applicable to new York, 15th september 2016, lot 913. see also the
the flower and the former corresponds to the peau de example from the J. Insley Blair collection sold at Christie’s
peche’ (p.163). the many beguiling Chinese names to more hong Kong, 28th november 2012, lot 211.
accurately describe the range of tonality achieved by glaze
range from ‘bean red’, ‘apple-red’, ‘apple green’, ‘beauty’s the vase comes from one of the grandest art collections
blush’ and ‘baby’s face’, to the gray end of the spectrum, in new York City in the early 20th century. mae Caldwell
including ‘baby-mouse skin’ and ’horse’s lung’. manwaring plant hayward rovensky was one of the most
prominent society figures of her day. mrs. rovensky was
the rightfully acclaimed glaze, a lustrous, copper-red flecked first married to seldon B. manwaring whom she divorced in
with pale green was notoriously difficult to achieve due 1914. one month later she married morton Freeman plant, a
to the temperamental nature of the copper pigment. the railroad and steamship magnate. the Fifth avenue mansion
attractive glaze is found only on a small group of vessels for she shared with morton plant gained renown in 1918 when
the scholar’s table and is one of the most iconic groups of mr. plant traded it to the jeweler Cartier in exchange for a
porcelain created under the Kangxi emperor. the group is pearl necklace for his wife and the building remains the new
considered to include eight forms; three types of waterpots, York showroom for Cartier today. Upon his death in 1918,
a seal paste box and cover and four vases of differing form, mrs. plant was one of the wealthiest women in america.
among which is exemplified by the present example. a In 1919 she married Colonel. William hayward, United
complete set of which is in the metropolitan museum of art, states District attorney for the southern region of new
new York, illustrated in Oriental Ceramics. The World’s Great York. Col. hayward had won considerable recognition for
Collections, vol. 2, tokyo, 1982, col. pl. 28.
his prosecutions during the early years of the prohibition
Copper-red glazes had been largely abandoned at era. In 1954 she married John edward rovensky, a banking
Jingdezhen since the early ming dynasty and were revived and financial leader. When she died two years later at her
and drastically improved only during the Kangxi reign. home, Clasendon Court in newport, rhode Island, her
recent research by peter Lam and other leading scholars will instructed that $6,000,000 be given to charities of
indicate that the famous ‘peachbloom’ group was produced his choosing but in her name. among the recipients, the
during the early years of the Kangxi period under the Wadsworth athenaeum was given this vase in her memory.
supervision of the skilled Zang Yingxuan, who was sent to rovensky also auctioned off a large part of her collection.
Jingdezhen in 1681 to oversee the rebuilding of the kilns and this significant event was held at parke-Bernet Galleries,
serve as imperial supervisor. to manage the fugitive copper- new York, ‘the art Collection of the Late mrs. John e.
lime pigment, it is believed to have been sprayed via a long rovensky (Formerly mrs. morton F. plant)’ from 15th-19th
bamboo tube onto a layer of transparent glaze and then January, 1957, and offered major works of art in multiple
collecting areas.

72 SOTHEBY’S Important ChInese art