Page 43 - Importan Chinese Art Christie's May 2018

SACRIFICE TO EARTH - A RARE IMPERIAL
HONGZHI SACRIFICIAL JAR

ROSEMARY SCOTT, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC CONSULTANT

This jar is a rare Ming dynasty example of a jar type surviving in international collections are bowls and
which is more frequently seen amongst Qing dynasty dishes, and even shards are rare. However, a fragment
porcelains. However, the origins of this form in porcelain of a yellow bowl with a Hongzhi mark and a glaze of
appear to have been in the Hongzhi reign, when the similar colour and texture to that of the current jar, was
current jar was made. It was intended for use in imperial excavated from the imperial kilns at Zhushan, illustrated
sacrifces conducted by the emperor in person at the in Ceramic fnds from Jingdezhen Kilns (10th-17th Century),
Altar of the Earth. While the colour yellow came to be Hong Kong, 1992, no. 249.
closely linked to the emperor, it was also linked to the
Altar of the Earth, and while early examples are rare, With the return of Chinese rule at the beginning of the
it is generally believed that the warm yellow - created Ming dynasty and the enthronement of the Hongwu
using small amounts of iron oxide in the glaze - reached Emperor (AD 1368-98), monochrome ceramics made for
its peak in the Hongzhi reign, when the current jar was the court took on some of the roles previously reserved
made. Hongzhi yellow glazes are generally quite delicate for bronzes - they were used for state ritual. As early as
in tone and have a clarity, which is not often replicated in the second year of his reign in 1369 Emperor Hongwu
later reigns. re-established imperial production at the Jingdezhen
kilns in Jiangxi province. In the Ming Shi (明 史 History
Hongzhi imperial porcelains are signifcantly rarer than of the Ming Dynasty) it is also recorded that as early as
those of the preceding Chenghua reign. The Hongzhi the frst year of his reign (1368), the Hongwu emperor
Emperor was the third son of the Chenghua Emperor, but decreed the number and type of ceremonial vessels to
his spending appears to have been much more restrained be used on the altar in the Taimiao (太 廟 the Temple
than that of his father. The Ming shilu, Xiaozong shilu of the Imperial Ancestors). Although the material from
明實錄 孝宗實錄 states that following the death of the which the vessels were to be made was not specifed
Chenghua Emperor in the 9th month of 1487, Xiaozong in most cases, there were two exceptions. The Hongwu
(who became the Hongzhi Emperor) entered into the emperor required that there be eight gold jue (爵 libation
appropriate period of mourning and issued an edict tripods) vessels and sixteen porcelain jue. It is noted in
requiring that all extraneous production was halted, the Da Ming Huidian (大明會典 Collected Statutes of the
and recalling the eunuchs from the Imperial kilns at Ming Empire, 1587 edition, 卷 juan 201) that in the second
Jingdezhen to the capital. It seems that there was a year of the Hongwu reign (1369), the Hongwu Emperor
period at the beginning of the Hongzhi reign when there went a step further, and issued an edict saying that all
was no oficial production at Jingdezhen, and even after ceremonial vessels used in state sacrifces should be
oficial production was resumed, it remained at a modest made of porcelain. The same edict is recorded in the Ming
level. A jar of the current type would have been intended Shi (juan 47). This text also states that in the third year of
for ritual use, but most of the Hongzhi yellow porcelains the Hongwu reign (1370) the Ministry of Rites noted that:

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