AN IMPORTANT BLUE AND WHITE JAR, GUAN YUAN DYNASTY

superbly potted, the baluster body rising to an upright neck and a galleried mouthrim, freely painted in deep tones of cobalt accented with 'heaping and piling' with two three-clawed dragons striding among clouds in pursuit of a 'flaming pearl' between triple line borders, one turning its head sharply toward the other, each animatedly depicted with a powerful sinous body, impressive bulging eyes, a long snout and a fierce expression, its open jaws revealing sharp fangs and a curling tongue, the shoulder of the vase decorated with six large cloud-shaped pendent lappets enclosing leafy sprays of chrysanthemum, peony and hibiscus, each repeated twice in the same sequence, and further applied with a pair of animal-mask handles, detailed with a ferocious grin, thick eyebrows and a long wispy painted beard, pierced on the sides of the mouth in order to hold rings (now missing), all between petal lappets collaring the neck and skirting the base, and below two rows of 'classic' scrolls encircling the neck and mouthrim, the recessed base and broad footring left unglazed and fired pale orange

Excavated at Yomitan-son, Okinawa prefecture, Japan.

Chinese Ceramics Excavated in Japan, Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, 1975, cat. no. 175.

The neck has been replaced with a porcelain replacement. There also are a few long hairline cracks on the side that have been consolidated beneath restoration paint. The restoration is very well done.
"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 its material, form and design, the present guan is the classic representation of blue and white porcelain from the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) and epitomizes a key stage in the formation of the shape known as guan. The banded decoration seen on this piece is unique in its design combination; in fact, no two Yuan jars are ever the same.  However, the decoration encompasses many of the characteristic elements found on Yuan porcelain design, such as the lotus scroll, dragons, petal-panels or lappets and phoenix among flower heads. This guan is also special for having been unearthed from the tomb site in Yomitan-son, Okinawa prefecture in Japan, serving as documentary evidence of a flourishing trade and the export of highly prized luxury items, as the present piece, from China to the Ryukyu Kingdom at the time.   

The painting of the dragons on this jar is characteristic of the Yuan style: it is bold and free. The mythical beast is depicted with animation and a powerful yet elegant elongated body, impressive bulging eyes, long snout and a fierce expression. Yuan designs generally reflect the artistic freedom and innovative climate encouraged by the Mongol rulers at the time, who gave potters employed by the Fuliang Porcelain Bureau, located in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province and established in 1278, a free hand to create pieces that satisfied both domestic and export markets. In fact, following the technical perfection achieved with the making of large white-glazed wares and the availability of precious cobalt for decoration, there was no limit to the artistic expression that went into the making of blue and white pieces. Individually styled and exquisitely crafted wares became the new luxurious items of the 14th century, highly sought after by the Yuan court as well as other parts of the Mongol Empire, Central Asia and the Islamic world. Guan of this type, like many of the contemporary vessels,  were especially made to suit the communal feasting traditions of the Mongols and other Central Asian communities and therefore large amounts were produced for the export markets.

The dragon seen here is reminiscent of that painted on the famous guan unearthed from the Yuan dynasty cellar at Gao’an, Jiangxi province, where over two-hundred ceramics pieces were found hidden. The Gao’an discovery gives us some context in which to place the present piece. A recent study suggests that the cellar was located in the residence of the official and the emperor’s son-in-law Wu Liangcheng, whose name is listed in the Tongzhi (r. 1862-1874) edition of Gao’an xian zhi. Renwu zhi.  Wu’s father was also a government official and a man of considerable wealth. The family’s direct access to the court meant that they were either awarded pieces from the imperial palace or purchased them at a high price. The Gao’an jar is illustrated in The Porcelain from the Cellar of the Yuan Dynasty in Gao’an, Beijing, 2006, p. 46.

Dragons can also be found on a dated pair of temple vases, from the collection of Sir Percival David and now in the British Museum, London. The ‘David’ vases bear a commemorative inscription dedicating the pieces to a Daoist temple in Yushan district, Jiangxi province, in the 11^th year of the Zhizheng reign (corresponding to 1351). Dated blue and white wares of the Yuan dynasty are extremely rare and these vases provide essential information on the rapid development in porcelain technology in the 14th century. The vases are illustrated in numerous publications, including Oriental Ceramics. The World’s Great Collections, vol. 6, New York, 1982, col. pl. 25, with one of the pair sold in our London rooms, 6th June 1935, lot 89, from the Charles E. Russell collection.

See also the two large dragons on a guan of this type in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, included in Sekai toji zenshu, vol. 13, Tokyo, 1981, pl. 196; and the dragons on a jar in the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, included in the Exhibition of Blue and White Wares in Yuan Dynasty: 14th Century Ching-te Chen Wares, Osaka Municipal Art Museum, Osaka, 1985, cat. no. 4. A closely related single dragon is painted below the neck on a jar in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, illustrated in Zhu Yuping, Yuan dai qinghua ci, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 4-13, and also in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, vol. II, London, 1986, pl. 586. Compare also a jar sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th April 2007, lot 838, with a related dragon design band on the body, below a stylised peony scroll band.