Page 54 - 2019 September 11th Sotheby's Important Chinese Art

The present bowl triumphantly combines two glazed in lemon-yellow, and molded with cranes
significant innovations of the Yongzheng period: and peaches with a single famille-rose peach at
the famille rose palette, and lemon-yellow the interior. A variation with a band of molded
glazes. Technically considered an ‘enamel’ due archaistic dragons under a translucent warm
to its low-temperature firing requirements, yellow glaze, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 19th
lemon-yellow glaze (ningmeng huang) was January 1988, lot 270.
applied to a variety of porcelain wares during The present Yongzheng design continued well
the Yongzheng reign and is admired for its into the 19th century. Compare a lemon-yellow-
brilliant, opaque hue. The color is derived glazed Jiaqing seal mark and period example
from lead antimontate, different from the lead in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing,
stannate yellow enamels found in the famille illustrated in The Complete Collection of
rose palette.
Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelains
See two bowls of this type sold at Christie’s with Cloisonné Enamel Decoration and Famille-
Hong Kong: the first on 19th March 1991, lot Rose Decoration, vol. 39, Hong Kong, 1999, pl.
681, and again 30th November 2016, lot 3317; 179. See also a Daoguang seal mark and period
the second on 20th March 1990, lot 794. A example, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 17th
turquoise-glazed example sold in our London January 1989, lot 705.
rooms, 14th November 2000, lot 169. Compare John Allyne Gade (1875-1955) was an American
also two monochrome-glazed bowls of the architect, naval officer, diplomat, investment
same form and molding from the collection of banker, and author. Born in Massachusetts to a
Ira and Nancy Koger, sold in these rooms, 27th Norwegian father and American mother, Gade
November 1990: a celadon-glazed example, spent many of his formative years in Europe,
lot 29, and a white-glazed example, lot 33. A and continued to travel around the continent
related bowl is illustrated in John Ayers, The throughout his career. He likely acquired this
Baur Collection: Chinese Ceramics: Painted and bowl during these travels or during his time as
Polychrome Ceramics of the Ch’ing Dynasty, Commissioner to three Baltic states. The bowl
vol. IV, pl. A 588, with rounded sides entirely
has remained in his family since his acquisition.

52 SOTHEBY’S IMPORTANT CHINESE ART