Page 40 - Christies March 15 2017 Fujita Museum

Like the Fujita jar, the jars from the Yuan and Ming dynasties have saucer-shaped, separately-applied,
bases, while the Southern Song jar has a fat fxed base. There are also a number of similar jars in the
collection of the Topkapi Saray in Istanbul, some of which are plain, some with ribbed decoration and
one (not missing its lid) with foral scrolls carved around the upper body (illustrated by in J. Ayers and
R Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, vol. 1, Historical Introductions, Yuan and Ming
Dynasty Celadon Wares, London, 1986, pp. 292-3, nos. 212-216, and colour plate on p. 215).

In the early Ming dynasty the celadon-glazed wares from the Longquan kilns remained popular, both
within China and as export wares to other parts of Asia. It is also clear that some of the ceramics
made at the Longquan kilns were being made for the court, under the supervision of government
oficials sent from the capital. Signifcantly, juan 194 of the Da Ming Huidian (大明會典) states that in
the 26th year of the Hongwu reign [AD 1393] some imperial wares were fred at the Rao and Chu kilns
– i.e. at Jingdezhen in Jiangxi and at the Longquan kilns of Zhejiang.

洪武二十六年定 , 凡燒造供用器皿等物 , 須要定奪樣制 , 計算人工物料 ‘ 如果數多 , 起取人匠赴京置窯興工
, 或數少 , 行移饒 , 處等府燒造.

IN THE EARLY MING DYNASTY THE CELADON-GLAZED
WARES FROM THE LONGQUAN KILNS REMAINED
POPULAR, BOTH WITHIN CHINA AND AS EXPORT
WARES TO OTHER PARTS OF ASIA. IT IS ALSO CLEAR
THAT SOME OF THE CERAMICS MADE AT THE
LONGQUAN KILNS WERE BEING MADE FOR THE
COURT, UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS SENT FROM THE CAPITAL.

In volume one of the Ming Xianzong Shilu (明憲宗實錄) it is noted that Emperor Xianzong ascended
the throne in the eighth year of the Tianshun reign [AD 1464] and after the Chenghua reign began
in the following year, an amnesty was declared. It was also noted that the oficials sent by the
government to supervise ceramic production at the Yaozhou kilns of Jiangxi province and the Chuzhou
kilns of Zhejiang province were required to return to the capital as soon as they received the imperial
edict. Of the ceramics in production, those which had been completed should be registered, and
work on those which had not been completed should cease. Failure to comply with the edict would be
regarded as a crime. This makes it clear that there was oficial production at the Longquan kilns as
late as AD 1465 - the beginning of the Chenghua reign.

The tall Ming dynasty Longquan celadon vase from the Fujita Museum is a rare example of a 'phoenix
tail' vase dating to the 15th century. It has an elaborate peony scroll carved around the shoulders and
the upper part of the body, while a band of slender petals encircles the foot. The vessel has a glaze
that is slightly more yellowish in tone than that seen on the Yuan dynasty Fujita vase, which is typical
of Longquan wares of the early Ming period. As in the case of the Yuan Longquan vase from the
Fujita collection, before glazing the Ming dynasty vase, a hole was cut into the base, in order to allow
the vessel to shrink during fring without cracking or distortion. A glazed saucer-shaped vessel was
dropped into the hole, and would have been able to foat on the liquid glaze during fring. At the end of
the fring, the saucer was held in place by the solidifed glaze. The saucer used in this case is unusual,
in that it is not fully glazed, but nevertheless seals the hole successfully.

38 IMPORTANT CHINESE ART FROM THE FUJITA MUSEUM