Page 60 - Sotheby's Imperial Chiense Porcelain Nov 4 2020 London

224
TANG SANCAI - THE SZE YUAN TANG COLLECTION 唐 三彩加藍刻寶相花紋三足盤
A RARE BLUE AND SANCAI-GLAZED TRIPOD DISH
TANG DYNASTY 來源
思源堂收藏
the shallow rounded sides rising from a flat base supported on
three short cabriole legs, incised to the centre with a circular
roundel enclosing a rosette encircled by petals, surrounded by
alternating lotus leaves and small lotus buds borne on stems,
picked out in amber, blue, green and straw-glazes, all reserved
against a deep blue ground
Diameter 29 cm, 11⅜ in.
The dating of this lot is consistent with the result of a
thermoluminescence test, Oxford authentication Ltd., no.
C111n24.
£ 30,000-50,000

Of all the ceramic wares made during the Tang dynasty, tripod
dishes with such flamboyant floral designs in brilliant sancai
enamels perhaps best illustrate the international spirit of the
period. The intensification of trade with Central Asia resulted
in the emergence of new commercial cities throughout
China, including the capital Chang’an, modern Xi’an, Shaanxi
province, which became the largest city in the world. These
bustling urban centres attracted an influx of foreigners who
came from such disparate places as Central Asia, the Middle
East, Africa, Rome, India and Japan. The goods they brought
with them and their tastes gradually entered the repertoire of
Tang craftsmen. The moulded floral motif on this dish and the
use of cobalt are examples of this interaction: the former was
inspired by designs on Central Asian textiles, while the latter
was an expensive pigment imported from Persia.
Tang potters took inspiration from a wide variety of sources,
and often looked for inspiration at objects in more luxurious
materials, such as silver. The characteristic form of this dish
with three cabriole legs is modelled after contemporary silver
offering trays, such as the lobed tray unearthed at the site
of the Daming Palace, Xi’an, now in the National Museum of
Chinese History, Beijing, included in the exhibition The Glory of
the Silk Road, The Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, 2003, cat. no.
108, and published on the Museum’s website, accession no.
1101012180003610675715. These offering trays were carried
by the legs, as illustrated on a wall painting of a lady carrying
an offering tray, discovered at the tomb of princess Fangling
(d. 673) in Zhaoling, now preserved in the Shaanxi History
Museum, Xi’an.
Dishes of similar design include one sold in our New York
rooms, 4th December 1985, lot 176; another with a flat rim,
sold in these rooms, 2nd March 1971, lot 123, and now in the
Tokyo National Museum; and another dish of this form, but
the blue stopping below the well, sold in these rooms, 9th
December 1986, lot 56. See also a dish of this design, but on
a green ground, in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.,
accession no. F1949.13; and a dish with a plain white ground, in
the Tokyo National Museum, accession no. TG-677.

116 Buyers are liable to pay both the hammer price (as estimated above) and the buyer’s premium together with any applicable taxes and Artist’s Resale Right 117
(which will depend on the individual circumstances). Refer to the Buying at Auction and VAT sections at the back of this catalogue for further information.