Page 62 - Sotheby's Asia Week March 2024 Chinee Art

Fig. 1 A blue and white dish from the Griffing Collection, early Ming dynasty, illustrated in Margaret Medley,
The Chinese Potter. A Practical History of Chinese Ceramics, Oxford, 1976, pl. 145
圖1 明早期 青花大盤 格里芬收藏，著錄於《中國陶藝師：中國陶瓷實用史》，牛津，1976年，圖版145

Highly impressive in its size, yet exquisite in its very rare the Longquan kilns appear to have worked closely with the
decoration, this large Longquan dish is a true masterpiece imperial porcelain kilns at Jingdezhen, thus making wares of
of the early Ming period. With its superior craftsmanship similar form, decoration and quality. Compare an important
and rare design, it stands out among other Longquan blue and white dish approximately the same size (58.4cm)
dishes known from this time and may have been specially from the Griffing Collection, illustrated in Margaret Medley,
commissioned by the court as an imperial gift to an The Chinese Potter. A Practical History of Chinese Ceramics,
important foreign potentate. Oxford, 1976, pl. 145 (fig. 1).
The finely rendered design of a fruiting and flowering Large-sized vessels, such as the present dish, commissioned
crabapple tree delicately enclosed within a band of six floral by the court, were predominantly made to meet foreign
sprays of chrysanthemum, lotus, rose, camellia, peony, is taste. They played an important role in the emperor’s control
particularly rare and the fine quality of the glaze, carving of foreign trade and tributary relations. Upon his ascension
and molding are characteristic of Longquan’s best early to the throne in 1368, the Hongwu Emperor ordered that
Ming productions. A reconstructed dish, larger in size – foreign diplomatic and trade contacts should be conducted
measuring 65cm diameter, was excavated at the Imperial through official government channels only, in the form
Longquan kilns at Chuxhou, Zhejiang province, illustrated of a tributary system. Further into his reign, these initial
in Ye Yingting and Hua Yunong, Faxian. Da Ming Chuzhou regulations became considerably less strict, as evidenced
Longquan guanyao [Discovery. Imperial ware of the great by the many Longquan pieces found outside China. The
Ming dynasty from Longquan in Chuzhou], Hangzhou, 2005, Longquan kilns, spreading over a large part of Zhejiang
pl. 6. Another example of the same size as the present lot, province and even further into the neighboring province
in the Topkapi Saray, Istanbul is illustrated in Regina Krahl, of Fujian, were indeed conveniently located to reach the
Chinese ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, ed. trade ports of Wenzhou and Quanzhou from where the
John Ayers, London, 1986, vol. 1, pl. 242. A smaller example merchandise could be shipped to foreign markets in the Far
(35.9cm) with a composite scroll border, from the collection East, Southeast Asia and India, the Middle East and even as
of Mrs. Nelson A. Rockefeller, was sold at Christie’s far as Africa. The Ottoman court in Istanbul was particularly
New York, 20th September 2005, lot 245. keen on the rich, lustrous green glaze of celadon and the
large size of the vessels suited Middle Eastern eating habits
The present dish belongs to a group of high-quality perfectly. Highly treasured, the best pieces were strictly
Longquan celadon wares produced in the late 14th to early reserved for the sultan and for special occasions. Valued and
15th centuries that were characterized by their bold carved prized, they were offered as part of their princesses’ dowries
designs comparable with the blue and white porcelain or as rewards for outstanding services.
contemporary to their time. During the early Ming dynasty,

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