Page 75 - Jie Rui Tang Kangxi porcelain mar 2018

339 A BLUE AND WHITE ⌲Ꮴ⛆ 䱿㟞䪸ٶⅡ᫼ృ傇㕠⨣
MALLET VASE

Qing Dynasty, Kangxi Period ҳ⎽
Minette 佐询
the cylindrical body surmounted by a tall
D M Freedman⧍侚2005䎃
slender neck applied with a pair of leaping-
carp-form handles, the molded sides with
curving panels ! nely painted with alternating
water plants, shells and crustacea set between
# oral lappet bands, the neck with further
aquatic plants between narrow chevron bands,
the base undecorated, coll. no. 1378.
Height 10⅛ in., 25.7 cm
PROVENANCE
The Minette Collection.
D. & M. Freedman, London, 2005.
The inspiration for this form seems likely to
be from the famous mallet-form vases of the
Song dynasty. These forms were traditionally
prized by Japanese connoisseurs and the
present vase may have been intended to
appeal to that market. A blue and white 18th
century example of this form, in the Asian Art
Museum, San Francisco was in the exhibition
Trade, Taste & Transformation, Jingdezhen
Porcelain for Japan, China Institute Gallery,
New York, 2006, cat. no. 19, where the form
is described as being part of a group for use
in an alcove or tokonoma of a teahouse and
the author also notes that blue and white
examples of this mallet form were known as
‘Takasago’ vases in reference to the male and
female ! gures with which they were decorated.
Another related vase from the Nezu Institute of
Fine Arts, Tokyo, was included in the exhibition
Encounters, The Meeting of Asia and Europe
1500-1800, Victoria and Albert Museum,
London, 2004, pl. 5.27.
A blue and white vase of this form and the
same rare waterweed decoration, but with
a galleried rim, was exhibited and illustrated
in Recent Acquisitions, S. Marchant & Son,
London, 2003, cat. no 41. Another nearly
identical vase of this rare form and decoration
sold at Christie’s London, 6th November 2007,
lot 226.

$ 20,000-30,000

KANGXI: THE JIE RUI TANG COLLECTION 73