- 2932
A VERY RARE BLUE AND WHITE 'WINGED DRAGON' JAR MARK AND PERIOD OF CHENGHUA
Estimate
8,000,000 - 10,000,000 HKD
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Description
THIS IS A PREMIUM LOT. CLIENTS WHO WISH TO BID ON PREMIUM LOTS ARE REQUESTED TO COMPLETE THE PREMIUM LOT PRE-REGISTRATION 3 WORKING DAYS PRIOR TO THE SALE.
of broad shouldered form, painted in rich purplish tones of cobalt-blue with a pair of writhing dragons with jaws gapper open and wings thrashing through the air, amidst knotted clouds and flames above a rolling tempestuous sea emitting foam and spray, all below a border of scrolling vines and a blue line border at the straight neck, the stepped base with the six-character mark within double-circles
of broad shouldered form, painted in rich purplish tones of cobalt-blue with a pair of writhing dragons with jaws gapper open and wings thrashing through the air, amidst knotted clouds and flames above a rolling tempestuous sea emitting foam and spray, all below a border of scrolling vines and a blue line border at the straight neck, the stepped base with the six-character mark within double-circles
Provenance
Collection of Sam Browne.
Sotheby's London, 23th May 1972, lot 126.
Exhibited
Exhibition of Chinese Ceramics from the Collection of the Kau chi Society of Chinese Art, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1981-82, cat.no.70.
Condition
There is an extremely fine and short hairline of approx 0.5cm to the interior of the shoulder, which has been cleaned and is only visible under a powerful torchlight. Otherwise the jar is in excellent condition overall, with an even glossy glaze. The colours are slightly softer than the illustration suggests.
"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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
Blue and white jars of Chenghua mark and period are extremely rare and only one other jar of this dragon design appears to be recorded, a piece from the collection of Mrs. Walter Sedgwick, sold in our London rooms, 2nd July 1968, lot 128, later in the collections of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd and the Asia Society, New York, illustrated in Denise Patry Leidy, Treasures of Asian Art, New York, 1994, pl.189.
No jars of this type appear to be preserved in the Palace collections either in Beijing or Taipei, although the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, contains a small Chenghua jar of slightly different form, painted with garden flowers, which was included in the Museum's exhibition Ming Chenghua ciqi tezhan, Taipei, 1976, cat.no.163; and a few other blue and white Chenghua jars, all deocrated with flowers, are recorded by Julian Thompson in the exhibtion catalogue The Emperor's broken China: Reconstructing Chenghua porcelain, Sotheby's London, 1995, catalogue p.118 and p.125 (nos.B2-B5).
The Sedgwick jar is discussed in Margaret Medley, 'Re-Grouping 15th Century Blue and White', Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, vol. 34, 1962-63, pp.93f., where she remarks on the similarities of the stepped base with examples bearing the Xuande reign mark and on the greater refinement of the Chenghua examples.
No jars of this type appear to be preserved in the Palace collections either in Beijing or Taipei, although the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, contains a small Chenghua jar of slightly different form, painted with garden flowers, which was included in the Museum's exhibition Ming Chenghua ciqi tezhan, Taipei, 1976, cat.no.163; and a few other blue and white Chenghua jars, all deocrated with flowers, are recorded by Julian Thompson in the exhibtion catalogue The Emperor's broken China: Reconstructing Chenghua porcelain, Sotheby's London, 1995, catalogue p.118 and p.125 (nos.B2-B5).
The Sedgwick jar is discussed in Margaret Medley, 'Re-Grouping 15th Century Blue and White', Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, vol. 34, 1962-63, pp.93f., where she remarks on the similarities of the stepped base with examples bearing the Xuande reign mark and on the greater refinement of the Chenghua examples.