Page 26 - Sothebys Important Chinese Art London May 2018

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AN IMPERIAL ‘FAMILLE ROSE’ ‘EIGHTEEN pavilions and thatched homes against pink enamel borders
LUOHAN’ VASE also embellished with further a dense feather scroll ground,
QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD from J.T. Tai & Co., was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 7
th
October 2010, lot 2130.
well potted with a wide cylindrical body rising from a short
spreading foot to a tall slender waisted neck with a ß ared rim, Qianlong mark and period vases of various forms were often
the neck ß anked by a pair of archaistic iron-red and gilt C- decorated with Þ gural scenes between coloured borders; a pair
shaped handles, the body Þ nely enamelled with a continuous of puce-ground vases, from the Chang Foundation, Taipei, is
scene of the Eighteen Luohan within a rocky landscape, the illustrated in James Spencer, Selected Chinese Ceramics from
neck and foot similarly decorated with leafy lotus strapwork Han to Qing Dynasties, Taipei, 1990, pl. 168; another, in the
reserved on a lime green feather scroll ground, the neck National Palace Museum, Taipei, is published in the Illustrated
further collared by a bat and cloud salmon pink band below the Catalogue of Ch’ing Dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace
mouth, the interior glazed in turquoise Museum, Republic of China: Ch’ien-lung Ware and Other
37.2 cm, 14½ in. Wares, Tokyo, 1981, pl. 36; and two in the Palace Museum,
Beijing, one of ruby-ground and the other of turquoise-ground
Exceptionally rare for the delicately painted scene of the
version, are published in The Complete Collection of Treasures
eighteen luohan engaged in various activities in an idealised
of the Palace Museum. Porcelains with Cloisonné Enamel
landscape, this vase demonstrates not only the accomplished
Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, pl.
brushwork of the artisans but also their ability to conceive the
128, and Kangxi. Yongzheng. Qianlong. Qing Porcelain from the
Þ nished overall product even before beginning to throw the
Palace Museum Collection, op. cit., p. 353, pl. 34 respectively.
vessel on the wheel. No other closely related example appears
Compare also a Qianlong vase painted between ruby-ground
to have been published, although a very similar vase, but
th
th
borders, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 29 /30 October 1995,
painted with a landscape, from the collection of Mr and Mrs
lot 756, and again in our New York rooms, 17 March 2009,
th
Isaac D. Fletcher and now in the Metropolitan Museum, New
lot 123, from the collection of Gordon Getty; and another,
York, is published in Denise Patry Leidy, How to Read Chinese
the Þ gures painted in a similar style but depicting the Eight
Ceramics, New York, 2015, pl. 39. Individual elements of both
Immortals as they cross a rough sea, reserved against a pink
shape and decoration are well known, evidence of the Qianlong
ground, from the collection of Leon Bartholin, sold in our Hong
potters’ masterful ability at combining their many stylistic
th
Kong rooms, 6 April 2016, lot 3611.
elements in myriad ways to create ever new designs.
Luohan, or arhats, were the disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha.
The legacy of Tang Ying (1682-1756), the brilliant
Although they attained Buddhahood during the course of their
Superintendent of the Imperial kilns at Jingdezhen from the
lives, they chose to postpone Nirvana and remain on earth
Yongzheng to early Qianlong reigns, is evident in the landscape
to protect and defend the Buddhist Law until the advent of
setting on the present vase. A gifted painter himself, scenes
Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future. Invested with supernatural
signed with his seal, either painted directly by him onto the
powers, they are believed to possess perfect wisdom and
vessel or transferred from his ink paintings by professional
knowledge of all things while being freed from sensual
porcelain decorators, have survived from the early Qianlong
desires. Thus, they are able to give perfection to others. The
period. This landscape design was further adapted to
eighteen luohan, here depicted as individuals and varying in
incorporate Þ gures, as seen on the present vase, and its
age, are Angaja, Ajita, Vanavasin, Kalika, Vajriputra, Bhadra,
combination with a formal scroll against a coloured ground
Kanakavatsa, Kanaka Bharadvaja, Bakula, Chudpantaka,
identiÞ es it as representative of a later stage of porcelain
Pindola Bharadvaja, Pantaka, Nagasena, Gopaka, Abheda and
decoration in the Qianlong reign. The green-ground neck and
Dharmata.
foot with formal ß oral scrolls have been painted in simulation
of work characteristic of yangcai porcelains, which were likely £ 100,000-200,000
inspired by brocade designs. HK$ 1,110,000-2,210,000 US$ 141,000-282,000
Only one other pair of vases of this sumptuous form and
design, with Qianlong seal marks and of the period, but painted ૶৻ඤ ၠή४੹ڍ༸ஷ౻ɤɞᖯဏྡᕐЀ࿛ɹଧ
with a similarly rendered mountainous scene Þ lled with large
detail

24 SOTHEBY’S