Page 55 - Sotheby's Part II Collection of Sir Joeseph Hotung Collection CHINESE ART , Oct. 9, 2022

Narcissus bowls, also known as ‘drum nail’ basins, belong to a distinct While there are a number of narcissus bowls with this particular
group of flower receptacles known as ‘numbered Jun’ wares; mostly juxtaposition of purple and blue in major museums and prominent
made in moulds and generally inscribed on the base with numerals private collections, they are rarely complemented with this beautiful
from one to ten that seem to inversely correspond to the size of the depth, mesmerising gradation and intensity of the glaze as seen on
vessels, ‘numbered Jun’ wares with the numeral one are considered the present bowl. Related examples include three in the Sir Percival
the largest. Besides the variation in sizes, these striking vessels were David Collection in the British Museum, with numerals four, five
also produced in a variety of glaze colours and patterns. They and seven (museum nos PDF.34, PDF.35 and PDF,A.56); three
are much admired over the centuries by the imperial court and in the Beijing Palace Museum, with numerals one, two and seven,
connoisseurs for their beautiful array of colours and intensity of the illustrated in Selection of Jun Ware. The Palace Museum's Collection
glaze, which varies from an opalescent sky-blue tone to brilliant hues and Archaeological Excavation, Beijing, 2013, pls 95, 94 and 113; four
of mauve and lavender. examples in the Taipei Palace Museum, with numerals one, two, four
and eight, illustrated in A Panorama of Ceramics in the Collection
The present narcissus bowl encapsulates the essence of Jun ware of the National Palace Museum: Chun Ware, Taipei, 1999, pls 29,
which derives its beauty and minimalist aesthetics from its simple yet 31, 32 and 36; another two bowls with numerals one and four, from
robust form and, notably, from its inimitable glaze - a thick, luminous the Baur Collection, collection nos A47 and A48, illustrated in John
glaze of an alluring purple-and-blue colouration that becomes almost Ayers, Chinese Ceramics in The Baur Collection, vol. 1, Geneva,
transparent around the edges of the vessel where the glaze thins 1999, pls 19 and 20; and an example with the numeral one, from
significantly. The result of the pattern, tonal variations and intensity of the Eumorfopoulos Collection in the Victoria and Albert Museum,
the glaze depends entirely on firing variations, making each narcissus accession no. C.105-1939. One of the most representative groups
bowl a unique work of art steeped in unpredictability. No two Jun of narcissus bowls is also preserved in the Harvard Art Museums.
vessels are alike and the uncertainty of the final outcome - as though For examples sold at auction, see two bowls bearing the same
created by nature - plays a vital role in its desirability. Creating such numeral five, one was formerly in the Linyushanren Collection, sold
a captivating and exuberant colouration, as seen on the present at Christie’s New York, 22nd March 2018, lot 542; the other sold
vessel, is undoubtedly an exceptional artistic achievement, making at Christie’s New York, 15th September 2009, lot 341. See also an
this narcissus bowl one of the most alluring and outstanding extant example with the numeral six, first sold in our London rooms, 12th
examples of its type. June 2003, lot 108, and again in these rooms, 5th April 2017, lot 1107.
Unlike other demonstrations of its kind commonly represented in
On the present bowl, the blue glaze on the inside is ravishingly bright museums or private collections, the present bowl boasts a unique
and glossy, mirroring the blue of the sky; it is accentuated with a colour gradient and vibrancy which constitutes a striking departure
wash of mottled purple, reminiscent of a spontaneous and spirited from the Jun ware paradigm.
brushstroke that runs and flows uninhibited along the well. The thick
opalescent blue glaze is infused with the characteristic markings that
have become known as ‘earthworm tracks', and merges with the
red of the copper-bearing glaze on the outside, creating a dazzling
variegated purplish effect in brilliant tones of mauve, lavender and
plum. The rich, mottled purple glaze on the outside subtly and
gradually transmutes to a pale mushroom tone that covers the ruyi
feet, and all three feet are ‘beribboned’ by a band of vibrant ruby-red.
The base of the vessel is thoughtfully applied with an attractive olive-
brown wash and with a neat ring of tiny spur marks. Every part of the
robust vessel entices one for an intimate inspection of its timeless
sophistication and beauty.

108 I FOR COMPLETE CATALOGUING ༉းྡ፽ʫ࢙ሗᓭᚎ SOTHEBYS.COM/HK1292 THE PERSONAL COLLECTION OF THE LATE SIR JOSEPH HOTUNG I 109