Page 36 - Sotheby's October 3 2017 Three Masterpieces

fig. 3
Cloisonné enamel ‘dragon’ tianqiuping, mid-Qing dynasty
© Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing
which partly hide its body and limbs, very similar in its layout
and the execution of the design. Only one example appears
to be extant of this pattern, a vase illustrated in Sotheby’s:
Thirty Years in Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2003, pl. 283; and in
Giuseppe Eskenazi in collaboration with Hajni Elias, A Dealer’s
Hand. The Chinese Art World Through the Eyes of Giuseppe
Eskenazi, London, 2012, pl. 158; and sold three times in these
rooms, 2nd May 1995, lot 118; 7th May 2002, lot 580, and
31st October 2004, lot 25 (fig. 1). While its height of 51 cm
already considerably exceeds the size of the usual porcelain
tianqiuping, the metal body of the present piece made an even
larger size possible, 57.3 cm, which is equally rare, however, in A much smaller (24 cm) cloisonné tianqiuping attributed to
that medium.
This free style of painting on a work of art did not originate
in the Yongzheng reign, but was developed in the Yongle
period (1403-1424) of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). In the
early Ming period tianqiuping with the design of a large three-
clawed dragon circling around the sides were produced in
several different versions, with the dragon floating among
lingzhi-shaped clouds, among lotus scrolls, or reserved in
white among overall waves; see The Complete Collection of
Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain
with Underglazed Red, Shanghai, 2000, vol. 1, pls 87 (fig. 2)
and 88, and Mingdai chunian ciqi tezhan mulu/Catalogue of
a Special Exhibition of Early Ming Period Porcelain, National
Palace Museum, Taipei, 1982, cat. no. 5. While the Yongzheng
porcelain vase was clearly inspired by a Yongle example, it
does not copy any version closely.
Fairly close copies of at least two of the Ming patterns were
also produced in the Yongzheng reign but, being direct
imitations, they neither capture the strength of the original
designs, nor are they infused with the vibrancy of a new
departure; see The Complete Collection, op.cit., vol. 3, pls 81,
102 and 197.
34 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比
The present cloisonné vase shows the same powerful style and
undoubted originality as its Yongzheng porcelain counterpart,
and equally seems to be unique. Only one other dragon-
decorated tianqiuping appears to be recorded in this porcelain
colour scheme, a smaller piece (41.9 cm) in the Palace
Museum, Beijing, attributed to the middle Qing period; see
Compendium of Collection in the Palace Museum. Enamels, vol.
3: Cloisonné in the Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pl. 102 (fig. 3);
the dragon on that vase is much less close to the Yongzheng
porcelain example than the one on the present piece.
the early eighteenth century and perhaps of similar date as
the present vase, but with a red dragon and blue waves on a
dark ground, was sold in these rooms, 5th October 2016, lot 9,
from the collections of Kenneth Malcolm and Roger Keverne;
and one cloisonné example of similar size, but with the design
executed in the more customary multi-coloured palette on a
turquoise ground and attributed to the Qianlong period, was
sold twice in our London rooms, 12th June 1990, lot 52, and
9th November 2011, lot 401.
In porcelain, a similar design with a red dragon among blue
waves, was also produced at Jingdezhen in the Qianlong reign,
but with the clouds stylized into decorative spirals. Compare
one such vase from the Qing court collection in the Palace
Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection, op.cit.,
vol. 3, pl. 210; and two other examples sold in these rooms,
one illustrated in James Spencer (comp.), Selected Chinese
Ceramics from Han to Qing Dynasties, Chang Foundation,
Taipei, 1990, pl. 150, sold 22nd May 1984, lot 125; the other
included in The Tsui Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1991, pl. 96,
sold four times, 16th May 1989, lot 230; 29th October 1991, lot
192; 27th April 2003, lot 48, and 31st October 2004, lot 22.