Page 344 - Christies September 13 to 14th Fine Chinese Works of Art New York

THE PROPERTY OF A LADY
~1346
A FINE DEHUA FIGURE OF GUANYIN Unlike the factories at Jingdezhen, porcelain production at Dehua was not
MING DYNASTY, EARLY 17TH CENTURY, IMPRESSED under Imperial supervision; reign marks were therefore rarely used, and
HE CHAOZONG MARK WITHIN A DOUBLE GOURD instead potters sometimes impressed their own seals or workshops marks.
The Goddess of Mercy is shown seated with both hands resting on the Some of these marked pieces have come to enjoy great prestige among
raised right knee, and the left hand gently clasping a scroll. The fgure is collectors, most notably the works of He Chaozong. His Guanyin fgures
swathed in a long, fowing robe which falls open at the chest to reveal a ruyi- are graceful and serene, often with fnely detailed accessories such as the
shaped necklace. The hair is held in a high chignon by a ruyi-shaped hairpin. exceptionally fne ruyi hairpin and necklace on the present example, elegant
The maker’s mark, He Chaozong, is incised within a double gourd on the fngers, and a characteristic creamy rich glaze covering the whole. Despite
back and the glaze is of a warm ivory tone. his renown, little is known about the potter, but modern scholarship now
considers a late Ming dynasty/17th century date to be most likely.
8¬ in. (21.9 cm.) high, hongmu stand
A closely related fgure of Guanyin, also with a He Chaozong mark, and seated in
$60,000-80,000 the same posture with a scroll and hairpin, but atop a reed mat, was included in
the exhibition at the China Institute Gallery and illustrated by J. Ayers, Blanc de
Chine: Divine Images in Porcelain, New York, 2002, p. 83, no. 34.
PROVENANCE
Y. Tsuruki, Kyoto, 24 April 1936.
William Carey Crane (1891-1978) and Lois Whitin Crane (1896-1988) Another fgure, also with a He Chaozong mark within a double-gourd but
Collection, and thence by descent within the family. with both hands hidden within the folds of her long sleeves, is illustrated by
R. Blumenfeld, Blanc de Chine: The Great Porcelain of Dehua, Hong Kong,
William Carey Crane (1891-1978) was born in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. From 2002, p. 132, fg. A. Further related examples include one holding a ruyi
West Point, he commissioned in the feld artillery in 1913. He graduated scepter illustrated by P. J. Donnelly, Blanc de Chine: The Porcelain of Tehua
from Command and General Staf School in 1927 and the Army War in Fukien, New York, 1969, pl. 144, fg. A, and the unmarked fgure holding
College in the following year. During the 1930s, he served as a military a scroll, dated to the late 17th-early 18th century, illustrated by C. J. A. Jörg,
attaché to the U.S. ambassador in Japan. He made brigadier general in Chinese Ceramics in the Collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam: The Ming
December 1942 and became chief of staf of Southern Defense Command. and Qing Dynasties, London, 1997, p. 244, no. 280.
Between 1944 and 1946, he held the position of commanding general 明十七世紀初 德化白釉書卷觀音坐像 《何朝宗》葫蘆形印款
of I Corps Artillery and then Fort Devens. He retired from active duty in
February 1947. His decorations included the Distinguished Service Medal,
Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and Commendation Ribbon.
In 1921, William Carey Crane married Lois Haven Whitin, whose family
had founded the Whitin Machine Works in Massachusetts in 1831. She
accompanied William Carey Crane to Japan, and together they embraced
their life in Asia. They become fuent in Japanese, and experienced many
adventures: they not only traveled extensively throughout Asia, but even
survived the great earthquake that devastated much of Tokyo and the
surrounding area in 1923.
William and Lois Crane’s love of the languages and cultures of Asia led to
a life-long appreciation for the art, which they collected with great passion
and discernment. Their cherished collection of Chinese and Japanese art
returned with them to the US, where it has been much appreciated by
family and friends to this day.

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