Page 170 - Christie's Asia Week March 2024 Chinese Art

IMPORTANT CHINESE ART INCLUDING THE COLLECTION OF DOROTHY TAPPER GOLDMAN

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Property from a Distinguished Private Collection
969
A RARE LARGE BLUE AND WHITE 'DRAGON' DISH 顯㈥私́珍藏
YONGZHENG SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE WITHIN A 清雍正 青花騰龍捧壽紋折沿૯盤 雙१Ս字楷書款
DOUBLE CIRCLE AND OF THE PERIOD (1723-1735) Ϝ源
17¬ in. (44.8 cm.) diam. 趙從衍家族基金會收藏，編號78
Ǘ趙從衍家族基金會藏重要中४瓷器及玉雕專場：ⓧˏ部ֱǘ； 香港蘇富
$300,000-500,000 比，1986年11月18日，拍品編號80
PROVENANCE: 展覽
T. Y. Chao Family Trust, no. 78. 香港中文૯學文ḵ館，Ǚ華Բ艸ਕ珍藏清代瓷器ǚ， 1973年11月 1974年2月
The T.Y. Chao Private and Family Trust Collections of Important Chinese 香港藝術館，Ǚ趙從衍家族基金會珍藏明清瓷器展ǚ， 1978年1 3月
Ceramics and Jade Carvings: Part I; Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 18 November 1986, ֨ḛ
lot 80. Ǘ華Բ艸ਕ珍藏清代瓷器ǘ，香港, 1973年，圖錄編號61
Ǘ趙從衍家族基金會珍藏明清瓷器展覽圖錄ǘ，香港，1978年，編號81
EXHIBITED:
Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ch’ing Porcelain from the Wah Kwong
Collection, November 1973-February 1974.
Hong Kong Museum of Art, Exhibition of Ming and Ch'ing Porcelain from the
Collection of the T. Y. Chao Family Foundation, January-March 1978.
LITERATURE:
Ch’ing Porcelain from the Wah Kwong Collection, Hong Kong, 1973, cat. no. 61.
Exhibition of Ming and Ch'ing Porcelain from the Collection of the T. Y. Chao
Family Foundation, Hong Kong, 1978, no. 81.

The central decoration on this exceptional blue and white dish depicts A similar blue and white Yongzheng-period ‘dragon’ dish in the Royal
a powerful five-clawed dragon. The link between dragons and Chinese Ontario Museum, Toronto, is illustrated by K. Vollmer and Nagai-
emperors can be traced to legends associated with emperors of early Berthong in Silk Roads-China Ships, Toronto, 1983, p. 229, and another
China. One of these relates to the legendary first emperor of China, is in the National Museum of China, illustrated in Zhongguo guojia
known as the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi) whose dates are usually bowuguan guancang wenwu yanjiu congshu - ciqi juan - Qing dai,
given as 2697–2597 BC. Among the myths associated with the Yellow Shanghai, 2007, p. 62, no. 38. Qianlong-marked versions were also
Emperor it is stated that at his death he was transformed into a dragon produced; see R. Krahl with C. von Spee, Chinese Ceramics in the
and ascended to Heaven. This and other legends contributed to the Gulexuan Collection, Düsseldorf, 2003, p. 157, no. 123.
adoption of the dragon as the symbol of imperial power – a symbolism
which spread to other parts of Asia. Here the dragon is seen grasping
for a shou roundel, the well-known emblem of longevity.

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