A FINE AND LARGE 'GE'-TYPE 'BAGUA' MOONFLASK SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

of archaistic bianhu form, the flattened globular body rising from a splayed rounded rectangular foot to a tall cylindrical neck and lipped mouthrim, moulded on each circular side with a central yin-yang symbol encircled by the bagua ('Eight Trigrams'), the sides moulded with raised bosses, the neck bordered with a raised fillet and flanked by a pair of dragon handles extending to the shoulder, the exterior and base covered with an opaque bluish-grey glaze suffused with a network of grey and faint golden crackles, the base centred with an underglaze-blue six-character seal mark

Collection of Henry C. Gibson (1830-91), Philadelphia.

Good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This impressive moonflask encapsulates the Yongzheng Emperor’s admiration of antiquity and his endeavour for aesthetic excellence. Such excellence was achieved through the outstanding technical and artistic developments of Qing potters working in the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen during his reign. Monumental in both form and design, this piece demonstrates the craftsmen’s complete control of the firing of ceramics which enabled them to become highly ambitious in their repertoire. 

Moonflasks of this type are extremely rare, although a closely related example was sold in these rooms, 14th November 1989, lot 187, and again, 1st November 1999, lot 349; and another of slightly larger size was sold in our London rooms, 8th November 2006, lot 173. Compare also a Guan-type moonflask, attributed to the Yongzheng period, sold in these rooms, 28th November 1978, lot 207; and a smaller flambé-glazed moonflask of this type, sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 3rd December 2015, lot 1, together with a Qianlong mark and period example covered in a Ru-type glaze, lot 7. For variations of Yongzheng moonflasks of this form, see a flambé-glaze version, but lacking the moulded decoration, in the Meiyintang collection, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 2, London, 1994, pl. 177; and a blue and white example, with a Yongzheng reign mark and of the period, in the Idemitsu Museum of Art, Tokyo, published in Sekai toji zenshu / Ceramic Art of the World, vol. 15, Tokyo, 1983, fig. 151.

The Yongzheng Emperor’s appreciation of antiquity is further evidenced in the form and glaze of this piece. The glaze is a successful attempt to recapture the spirit of the classic Song glaze of ‘Ge’ ware, with its opaque beige colouration and distinct black-stained crackles. Ge ware is one of the most celebrated wares of Chinese ceramics. According to Regina Krahl in Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 1, London, 1994, p. 213, "originally, the term Ge, often mentioned in classical Chinese literature, may have been applied to a distinct ware from a specific but unidentified kiln; later, however, it appears to have turned into a connoisseur's term for wares with certain features". In its form, this moonflask can be traced back to archaic ritual bronze vessels (bianhu) of the Shang dynasty (16th century - c. 1050 BC), which can also be found in pottery. This shape was adopted during the early Ming dynasty under the Yongle Emperor, where the craftsmen appear to have amalgamated it with the distinctive form of Islamic metal flasks. 

Decorated with the bagua ('Eight Trigrams') encircling a yin and yang, this moonflask reflects the Yongzheng Emperor’s affiliation with Daoism. Centred in the middle of the composition, the yin and yang represent the Daoist complimentary positive-negative principle of universal life, while the bagua symbolise the fundamental principles of reality. Each consists of three broken or unbroken lines, which again represent yin or yang respectively. The arrangement of the trigrams on this moonflask represents the Fuxi (‘Earlier Heaven’) sequence: starting from the top and moving clockwise they are heaven (qian), wind (xun), water (kan), mountain (gen), earth (kun), thunder (zhen), fire (li), lake (dui). Each has an opposite and complimentary trigram, showing harmony, balance and life. Fuxi, a legendary founder of the Chinese people, reputedly showed his subjects how to fish, raise domestic animals and cook, as well as teaching the rules of marriage and the use of picture symbols. He also made known the bagua, which he first saw written on the back of a ‘dragon-horse’ as it rose from the waters of the Yellow River.

Henry Clay Gibson (1830-91) was one of the great tycoons and art collectors of 19th century Philadelphia. His fortune was built on rye whiskey, but he eventually expanded into railroads, banks, department stores and real estate. He commissioned leading architects to build luxurious properties which he filled with his large and eclectic art collection. The current vase is illustrated here in an early photograph of the interior of his townhouse (fig. 1).