Page 11 - Sotheby's May 10th 2017 London Important Chinese Art
P. 11
DEHUA
Located in the mountainous region of Daiyunshan The Dehua kilns are renowned for their three-
in Quanzhou, Fujian province, Dehua is famous for dimensional porcelain sculptures of popular Chinese
its production of attractive porcelain wares that are religious and historical gures, also known as blanc-
admired for their translucency and tactile ivory glaze. de-chine. The nest examples, such as the Guanyin
These wares were made both for the imperial court in this collection (lot 105), are outstanding for the
and the domestic and foreign markets. Active since serenity of their countenance which is accentuated
the Western Zhou (c. 1050-771BC) period, the Dehua by the rhythmical quality of the owing robes. Other
kilns began to manufacture white-glazed porcelains popular subjects commonly depicted in Dehua
from the Song dynasty (960-1279) and reached sculptures represented in this collection include
a peak in the Ming (1368-1644) when increased
demand from overseas led to the emergence and gures of Budai (lots 102 & 106), Daoist immortals,
as well as historical and mythological gures (lot 101).
ourishing of numerous kilns. Dehua continued to
thrive through to the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) and a
large number of workshops are still active today.
