Page 23 - Bonhams Hong Kong The Skinner Moon Flasks
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figs.4 and 5 Cover and inside cover of Records of Display for the Studio of Fresh Fragrance, p.28, sixth month,
nineteenth year of the Daoguang period (1839).
Imperial storerooms at the Forbidden City;7 two examples handles, almost all aspects of the workmanship and decorative
of these larger moonflasks are recorded as located in the motifs are very consistent. The shape of these moonflasks is
Imperial Storage for porcelains on the western side of the very classical; the body potted and glazed pearl white, the blue
‘the Palace of Tranquil Longevity’.8 and white decoration enclosed within key-fret scroll borders,
the foot with lotus blossoms. The neck of the larger version
According to the huo ji dang, dated to the Qianlong third is densely decorated with floral scrolls; the smaller size has
year (1738): ‘on the twenty-fifth day of the sixth month, ruyi-heads. The narrow sides of the vases are decorated with
….the Eunuch Gaoyu presented a blue and white bowl and meandering lotus scrolls. The main ‘front and back’ sides
cover with handles… a Xuande blue and white ‘horse- each have a circular raised boss at the centre painted with a
hanging’ flask…By Imperial decree: Send it to Tang Ying stylised ruyi-head medallion, enclosed within a small band of
to replicate… once done the original porcelain model is to lotus lappets, and all within another larger band of lotus lappets
be returned to the storage of the Imperial porcelain wares; painted with the Eight Buddhist Emblems: dharma wheel,
for large objects, send only the drawing design; for small conch, parasol, victory banner, endless knot, lotus flower,
objects, carry [them to Tang Ying].’9 double-fish and vase. Around the foot are leafy scrolls, and the
recessed interior of the foot is glazed white with the blue daqing
The larger moonflasks were therefore designed by enlarging the Qianlong nianzhi six-character zhuanshu seal mark arranged in
size of the smaller ones serving as models, an innovation dating three columns. The cobalt blue used all over the vase is of a rich
after the sixth month of the third year of Qianlong’ (1738). The hue. The painted decoration deliberately incorporates irregular
production, craftsmanship and decorative motifs of both the small dots of very rich blue colour. This consciously simulates
smaller and larger types of moonflasks are directly related to the well-known ‘heaped and piled’ effect found almost invariably
each other, and the introduction of both sizes date to the very on 15th century Ming dynasty Yongle and Xuande blue and
early years of Qianlong’s reign. Other than slight differences in white wares, where dots of the insufficiently-ground pure cobalt
the size, decorative details around the neck and around the mineral occur haphazardly throughout the cobalt decoration.
THE SKINNER MOONFLASKS | 21
