A DOUCAI 'THREE FRIENDS' JAR AND COVER MARK AND PERIOD OF KANGXI

of ovoid form rising from a recessed base to a short neck, finely painted on the exterior in a continuous scene with the 'Three Friends of Winter' pine, bamboo and prunus, the prunus flowers brightly enamelled in pink and orange shades, the bamboo and pine enamelled in green and the gnarled trunks in aubergine, all outlined in underglaze blue, the domed cover decorated with the same motif encircling a bud knop, the base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark within double circles

There is an approx. 3 cm undulating body line in the biscuit on the mouthrim which has slightly discoloured to yellow and an attendant 3 cm contraction line in the glaze beneath encircling the neck, both originals to the firing. There is a small iron spot on the opposite side inside the neck. There are a few very occasional minor specks or scratches on the surface glaze or pin-prick air bubbles on the underside. Otherwise the jar and cover are in very 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."

Kangxi period jars decorated with this charming decoration in the doucai palette are rare; a closely related example from the collections of C. Oswald Liddell, Charles E. Russell and Paul and Helen Bernat, illustrated in Soame Jenyns, Later Chinese Porcelain. The Ch’ing Dynasty, London, 1951, pl. XLVIIIA, and included in the exhibition Bones of Jade, Soul of Ice. The Flowering Plum in Chinese Art, Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, 1985, cat. no. 73, was sold several times at auction, most recently in these rooms, 15^th November 1988, lot 17; and another with a cover was sold in these rooms, 8^th April 2011, lot 3160. Compare a Yongzheng example, from the collection of H.F. Goldstein, sold in our London rooms, 25^th March 1975, lot 277. Yongzheng blue and white jarlets of this type are more commonly known, for example see one included in the Hong Kong Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Chinese Blue and White Porcelain, City Museum and Art Gallery, Hong Kong, 1975, cat. no. 108; and another illustrated in Ma Xigwai (ed.), Beauty of Ceramics. Blue and White Porcelain, Taipei, 1993, pl. 131.

 

The pine, bamboo and plum trees comprise the ‘Thee Friends of Winter’, as the pine and bamboo remain green throughout the cold winter while the plum tree is the first to blossom each year. These three plants are representative of fortitude and uprightness in adverse conditions as well as symbolic of longevity. The origin of the term is found as early as the writings of the Song loyalist Lin Chingxi (1241-1310), and was a popular decorative motif from the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368).