Page 178 - Important Chinese Art Hong Kong April 2, 2019 Sotheby's

3647

PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN 明嘉靖 黃地綠彩雲龍趕珠紋盌
A RARE LARGE YELLOW-GROUND GREEN- 《大明嘉靖年製》款
ENAMELLED INCISED ‘DRAGON’ BOWL
MARK AND PERIOD OF JIAJING 來源：
傳日本家族收藏
with deep rounded sides resting on a short straight foot,
brightly decorated around the exterior with two five-clawed
dragons striding amidst stylised clouds above crashing
waves, each mythical beast depicted writhing sinuously
and chasing a flaming pearl, all between bands enclosing a
stylised foliate scroll and chevron motifs encircling the rim
and foot, the interior centred with a medallion enclosing a
coiling dragon, below a classic scroll border to the inner rim,
all incised with elaborate details, picked out in bright green
enamel and reserved on a yellow ground, the base left white
and inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign
mark within a double circle
22.4 cm, 8¾ in.

PROVENANCE
A Japanese family collection, by repute.

HK$ 1,200,000-1,800,000
US$ 153,000-230,000
Dragon designs in this yellow-and-green colour scheme were No other bowl of this size and design appears to be
already experimented with at the Jingdezhen imperial kilns recorded, but smaller Jiajing bowls with dragons are known.
in the Yongle period (1403-24), but this colour combination See a related type with slightly everted rims, decorated
became popular only in the Zhengde reign (1506-21). For with a pair of dragons striding among scrolling clouds, but
a small ewer and dish with this design excavated from the above upright lotus petals instead of waves, the rims without
Yongle stratum of the Ming imperial kiln site see Imperial stylised bands, including one example in the Meiyintang
Porcelain of the Yongle and Xuande Periods Excavated from collection, illustrated by Regina Krahl, ibid., vol. 2, no. 696,
the Site of the Ming Imperial Factory at Jingdezhen, Hong sold in our London rooms, 8th/9th July 1974, lot 247, and
Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1989, cat. nos. 28 and 29. twice at Christie’s London, 12th December 1977, lot 150, and
In the Zhengde period ewers, slop bowls (zhadou), dishes, 8th December 1986, lot 329. Compare also another type of
and bowls of different shapes were made in this design; even smaller size, decorated with a frieze dragon, phoenix
compare a Zhengde bowl in the Koger collection, illustrated and crane between a classic-scroll and stylised lappets, such
in John Ayers, Chinese Ceramics. The Koger Collection, as one from the collection of George de Menasce, sold in
London, 1985, pl. 73; and the zhadou in the Meiyintang these rooms, 28th April 1998, lot 792.
collection, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from
the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 4, no.
1682.

Mark
176 SOTHEBY ’S IMPORTANT CHINESE ART