Page 77 - Importan Chinese Art Christie's May 2018

orientation, around the lower neck of a pair of blue ground in the Palace collections. A triple-necked moon fask with
vases, dated to 1742, in the National Palace Museum, pale celadon ground and reserved circular panels showing
Taipei, illustrated in Stunning Decorative Porcelains from immortals in landscape is in the Palace Museum, Beijing,
the Ch’ien-lung Reign, op. cit., pp. 148-9, no. 47. illustrated in Porcelains with Cloisonné Enamel Decoration
and Famille Rose Decoration, op. cit., p. 142, no. 124, while
Flattened porcelain fasks with compressed bulb mouths
a moon fask with dragon handles and a turquoise ground
and strap handles appear among Chinese porcelains of the
surrounding reserved panels depicting children at play
early 15th century. An early 15th century blue and white
is in the same museum collection, illustrated in Kangxi
example with Islamic inspired lattice decoration is in the
Yongzheng Qianlong - Qing Porcelain from the Palace
collection of the Percival David Foundation of Chinese
Museum Collection, p. 354, no. 35. A conjoined double
Art, see Rosemary Scott, Elegant Form and Harmonious
moon fask with one rouge red and one blue ground fask
Decoration, op. cit., p. 39, no. 26; while another is in the
is in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei,
Palace Museum, Beijing. The form enjoyed renewed
illustrated, Stunning Decorative Porcelains from the Ch’ien-
popularity in the 18th century, and in the case of a
lung Reign, op. cit., pp. 88-9, no. 21. These conjoined fasks
Yongzheng blue and white example in the Palace Museum,
have long necks and everted mouth rims
Beijing, the same lattice decoration was applied (see Blue
and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red, III, The Complete Fine Qing dynasty enamelled porcelains with rare pink or
Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, vol. 36, pinkish-mauve ground colours appear to have particularly
2000, p. 113, no. 99), while the underglaze red Qianlong appealed to the famous 19th century collector, Alfred
fask in the Baur Collection was also decorated with an Morrison, who amassed the Fonthill heirlooms collection.
adaptation of the early design, see John Ayers, The Baur Recent research has shown that the current fask
Collection, 1974, vol. 4, no. A535. On the current fask, was one of several porcelain vessels decorated with
however, a delicately enamelled, typically Qing, design has backgrounds in these rare colours, which Morrison
been applied in a manner that perfectly complements the purchased from the London art dealers Durlacher
form. From the Qianlong reign several moon fasks, with a Brothers of New Bond Street between September 1864
variety of neck forms, with coloured grounds are preserved and September 1866.